The Board has granted service connection for migraine headaches on a presumptive basis. The Veteran's low back, left shoulder, right shoulder, left knee, right knee, and bilateral ankle disabilities are remanded due to insufficient evidence.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations were inadequate as they did not provide sufficient rationale or considered all relevant medical records and lay statements.
- Claimed conditions
- migraine headaches, low back disability, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, left ankle disability, right ankle disability
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19130312
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's migraine headaches were granted a 50 percent disability rating, effective August 8, 2023, due to very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks that are productive of severe economic inadaptability.
- Granted
The Board granted a 50 percent rating for the Veteran's migraine headaches based on prostrating attacks occurring more than once a month and severe economic inadaptability.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for migraine headaches as proximately due to the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 30 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches, but no greater.
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