The Veteran's cluster headaches are currently rated at 50 percent, but the Board finds that the symptoms of severe sleep impairment and visual disturbances do not align with this rating. The Veteran is also unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected headache disability. Both issues must be remanded for further action.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's headaches are rated at 50 percent, but the associated symptoms of severe sleep impairment and visual disturbances do not align with this rating, indicating an inadequacy in the established schedular criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- Cluster headaches, Chronic sleep impairment, Visual disturbances
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 9, 2018
- Citation
- 18125352
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 18125352.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of November 29, 2023, for the award of Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU), finding that it was factually ascertainable that the Veteran became unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment as of January 16, 2021. The effective date is set at November 29, 2023.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. The Board granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), alcohol use disorder, and cluster headaches. The claims were remanded for further development of the evidence regarding unspecified mood disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and somatic symptom disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating for cluster headaches prior to April 5, 2023, to obtain a retrospective medical opinion and outstanding VA treatment records.
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