The Veteran's migraine headaches are rated at a 30 percent disability rating, but no higher. The Board found the evidence to be in equipoise as to whether his headaches meet the criteria for a 50 percent rating due to their severity and frequency.
The deciding factor: The Veteran reported frequent and severe migraines that required medication and sometimes necessitated lying down in a dark room, meeting the criteria for a 30 percent disability rating. However, there was no evidence of very frequent or prolonged attacks leading to economic inadaptability.
- Claimed conditions
- migraine headache
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- September 13, 2018
- Citation
- 18134760
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 18134760.
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 dismissed the appeal for an earlier effective date for the migraine headache disability rating, as it was already granted from August 31, 2007. The issues of increased ratings for PTSD and major depressive disorder with TBI are remanded due to a duty to assist error in not obtaining SSA records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claim for a higher rating for migraine headaches due to conflicting evidence and need for further clarification.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right and left knee conditions, as well as migraine headaches, due to inadequate medical opinions. The Veteran's bilateral knee conditions are related to active service or secondary to his lumbar spine condition. His migraine headaches are related to active service.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's migraine headache disability is at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected PTSD, and thus grants service connection for this condition on a secondary basis.
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