The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not prevent her from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment, thus the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability is denied.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude her from obtaining or maintaining gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- muscle contraction headaches, ganglion cyst of the right hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 9, 2011
- Citation
- 1133581
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1133581.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted a higher initial rating of 70 percent for the Veteran's service-connected somatic symptom disorder with major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety, as well as a higher rating of 50 percent for muscle contraction headaches. However, it denied a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) based on a single service-connected disability.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the need for additional VA medical records and completion of a VA Form 21-8940.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims of increased ratings for various service-connected disabilities are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's cervical spine disability claim is also remanded as an adequate VA examination was not provided in the previous February 2015 neck conditions examination.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted an initial 50 percent rating for chronic headaches, variously diagnosed as migraine headaches, tension headaches, and muscle contraction headaches. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU is also on appeal.
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