Migraines & headaches decisions — 2019

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for epilepsy and migraines, to include as secondary to epilepsy, should be remanded due to incomplete service treatment records and missing VA treatment records. The Veteran needs to provide additional evidence of his exposure to toxic chemicals in submarines during service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for fatigue, headaches, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to inadequate VA medical opinions and the need to obtain private mental health treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for a scar from laceration, left lower scalp was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal. The remaining issues of service connection and increased ratings were remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the issue of service connection for headaches, as secondary to the service-connected anatomical loss of the right eye disability. The Veteran's claim will be reviewed again with an opinion on whether the headaches are aggravated by the service-connected condition.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for right foot plantar fasciitis is dismissed. The Veteran's head scar and related migraine headaches are granted service connection, but the neck disability and right knee disability remain remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU.

The Board denied service connection for back, neck, and headaches disabilities. The Board also denied service connection for numbness in the left leg, right leg, left arm, and right arm due to insufficient evidence of current disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left foot disorder and headaches, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and her military service or any service-connected disabilities.,Specifically, the Board determined that the Veteran did not have a current disability related to her claimed conditions at the time of her claims. The Board also found insufficient medical evidence linking her current conditions to her military service.

The Board denied service connection for migraine headaches as the evidence did not show a causal relationship to service or any service-connected disability.

The Board partially granted the Veteran's Motion to Vacate, vacating the denial of service connection for gout, ear condition (constant pressure), hypertension, diabetes, headaches, peripheral neuropathy in both upper and lower extremities, and right ear hearing loss. The decision also denied the portion of the motion that requested vacatur of the remanded claims of tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's irritable colon syndrome, sleep apnea, unspecified neurodegenerative condition, and migraines.

The Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches are rated as noncompensable from March 29, 2016, through May 8, 2018. The Board found that the evidence did not show characteristic prostrating attacks of migraine pain and denied a compensable initial rating.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for migraine headaches and neck disability has been dismissed.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability is remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for his service-connected scar and headache conditions due to conflicting opinions regarding the umbilical hernia, incomplete VA examination reports, and missing treatment records. The AOJ is instructed to ensure all relevant records are obtained and associated with the claims file.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims due to incomplete development and lack of a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC). The SSOC is needed for all denied claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with the exception of his right shoulder disability and headache disability. The left knee and right knee disabilities are now considered as secondary to a pre-existing condition (lumbar spine).

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for PTSD prior to December 31, 2018, and in excess of 50 percent from that date was dismissed. The Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee chondromalacia patella and right knee chondromalacia patella were granted. The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his left ankle strain is remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and evaluation, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling appropriate VA examinations to assess the severity of the Veteran's migraine headaches and associated speech difficulties.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for his bilateral ear disability and dizziness and headaches as secondary to his service-connected disabilities. The decision is due to insufficient evidence regarding the severity of his hearing loss, frequency of his headaches and dizziness, and the underlying disease causing his symptoms.

The Veteran's hypertension claim was denied as his blood pressure readings did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.,The Veteran was granted TDIU for the period prior to May 13, 2019 due to his service-connected disabilities.