The Board denied service connection for hypertension on a secondary basis to her service-connected migraine headaches and lumbosacral strain. The Veteran's combined rating from all service-connected disabilities is at least 70%, meeting the criteria for TDIU, but she was found unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to her employment history.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has been employed in full-time positions since 2000 and currently holds a position as a hospital coder/biller. Her service-connected conditions do not hinder her ability to work at this job, which she has held for over 12 years.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, migraine headaches, lumbosacral strain, pain disorder, thrombophlebitis migrans of the right lower extremity, sciatica nerve in the right lower extremity, myoma of uterus, bilateral shin splints
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 90%
- Decision date
- January 11, 2018
- Citation
- 1802713
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 1802713.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
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The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
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