The veteran is seeking service connection for headaches, which he claims are secondary to his service-connected melioidosis and post-traumatic stress disorder. The Board finds that the RO should schedule the veteran for an additional examination in order to clarify whether the veteran's headaches are a separate chronic condition or merely a symptom of PTSD, and what the relationship is, if any, between his current headaches and his service-connected PTSD.
The deciding factor: The examiner must provide an opinion as to whether the veteran's migrainous headaches without aura constitute a separate chronic condition or whether this condition is merely a symptom of PTSD; and if found to be a separate chronic condition, the examiner should indicate whether this condition was caused by or aggravated by the veteran's service-connected PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- headaches, melioidosis, post-traumatic stress disorder
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 29, 2007
- Citation
- 0737406
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 0737406.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of records and will provide a supplemental statement of the case if necessary.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches was reopened due to new and material evidence, and the Board found that his current headaches are related to service. Service connection is granted.
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