The Board has granted service connection for depression as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected headache disability and granted an increased rating of 10 percent for tension headaches. The Veteran's rhinitis is rated at 10 percent due to more than 50% obstruction on both sides, with characteristic prostrating attacks occurring once every two months.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's depression was proximately caused by her service-connected headache disability and granted an increased rating of 10 percent for tension headaches based on the frequency of prostrating attacks. The rhinitis was rated at 10 percent due to more than 50% obstruction on both sides.
- Claimed conditions
- retrocalcaneal spurs, depression, rhinitis, tension headaches
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- December 16, 2015
- Citation
- 1552685
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 1552685.
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 remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining in-service psychiatric treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Denied
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to July 1, 2016. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. For TDIU, the Veteran had multiple service-connected disabilities but his education and work experience were sufficient for sedentary or light labor employment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the claims on appeal, including obtaining any outstanding treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the current severity of service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's representative also requested reevaluation of his service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to September 27, 2017. From September 27, 2017, the rating for depression increased to 70 percent.
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