Migraines & headaches decisions — 2014

The Board has remanded the appeal due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions and their relationship to service. The issues of service connection for various disabilities are being reviewed.

The Board finds that the effective date for the grant of service connection for TBI with headaches should be October 1, 2006, but no earlier. The Veteran's original claim included symptoms later attributed to his TBI.

The Veteran's appeal of the claim for a compensable initial disability rating for service-connected headaches has been dismissed. The Board finds that he is entitled to service connection for tinnitus, as it is likely related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and Social Security Administration records. The VA will also obtain addendum opinions regarding the Veteran's low back, bilateral leg, bilateral foot disorders, and headaches.

The Board has granted service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disorder and assigned an initial rating of 10 percent for migraine headaches.

The Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches are rated at the maximum 50 percent under Diagnostic Code 8100, which requires very frequent and completely prostrating attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability. The Board finds that these symptoms meet this criteria.

The Veteran's chronic headaches, which are productive of attacks averaging one in two months over the last several months, do not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as his hearing impairment does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating based on VA audiometric testing results.

The Board finds that the Veteran's income exceeded the maximum non-service-connected pension rate, thus denying his claim for non-service-connected pension benefits.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a gunshot wound to the head and residuals to a left eye injury, finding no current disabilities related to these conditions.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder was granted service connection, but the headache condition was denied.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder claim is reopened due to new evidence received since the April 1995 rating decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a right knee disability, a skin disease (to include angioedema and dermatitis), and a headache disability were denied. The claim for an initial rating higher than 30 percent for PTSD was also denied.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the appellant's claimed head disorder and unspecified neurocognitive disorder. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's headaches, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether his headaches are related to active service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for current VA examinations to determine the current severity of her service-connected disabilities, and for obtaining all outstanding medical records.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for headaches and psychiatric disability. The Veteran's claims are now pending before the Board.

The Veteran's migraine headaches have been rated at the highest available rating of 50 percent, effective April 23, 2010.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for glaucoma was withdrawn. The remaining issues of entitlement to service connection for headaches and PTSD, as well as an increased rating for PTSD, are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted as her service-connected disabilities (migraine headaches and dysthymia) qualify for the percentage rating standards for TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the AOJ for scheduling a videoconference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.