The Board granted the veteran's claim, assigning a noncompensable (0 percent) initial evaluation for cluster headaches and later increased it to 10 percent effective from the day after his departure from active service. The decision found that while there was evidence of current disability and in-service injury, there was no evidence showing characteristic prostrating attacks averaging once per month over several months.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the veteran's cluster headaches were productive of characteristic prostrating attacks occurring on an average of once a month over the last several months, warranting a 10 percent evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- cluster headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- June 16, 2004
- Citation
- 0415405
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 396 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0415405.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and whether it is secondary to his service-connected cluster headaches or meningitis.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for cluster headaches was denied because the new evidence did not relate to the issue of whether his current condition is related to military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for residuals of mononucleosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, and cluster headaches due to incomplete VA medical opinions. The Veteran is requested to provide addendum opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure by VA to obtain relevant private treatment records, including from Dr. K and Dr. N, which may be pertinent to the Veteran's eligibility for PCAFC benefits.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.