The Veteran was awarded a 50 percent rating for his service-connected cluster headaches, effective from January 5, 2014. He has appealed the effective date assigned and also disagrees with the current rating of 50 percent.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's entitlement to an increased rating arose on January 5, 2014, when he submitted a private DBQ indicating his cluster headaches had worsened since the previous rating decision in May 2012.
- Claimed conditions
- Cluster Headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- November 28, 2018
- Citation
- 18153699
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 18153699.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for sinusitis and irritable bowel syndrome, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. Other claims were either denied or remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 30 percent evaluation for GERD and a 50 percent evaluation for cluster headaches, but denied an increased rating for right foot plantar fasciitis. The Veteran was also granted a 10 percent evaluation for external hemorrhoids effective May 19, 2024.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected cluster headaches have been rated at 50 percent since March 14, 2011. The Board affirms this rating based on the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his ability to work.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his service-connected cluster headaches is being remanded due to insufficient medical opinions. The Board will seek new medical opinions without considering the ameliorative effects of medication.
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