The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have been rated at 90 percent disabling since September 23, 2012. The Board has granted restoration of disability ratings for migraines, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, as well as TDIU from September 23, 2012 to September 22, 2013.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable due to their severity and overlap with his existing conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea, PTSD with alcohol dependence, migraines, bilateral ankle disabilities, right wrist strain, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome, bilateral radiculopathy of the lower extremities, bilateral knee disabilities, eye disorder, tinnitus, scars, right little finger disorder, right varicocele, erectile dysfunction, acne
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 90%
- Decision date
- April 25, 2019
- Citation
- 19132574
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,272 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19132574.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraines was reopened due to new evidence. Service connection is granted for painful scars, but the rating assigned remains at 10 percent. The claims for fibromyalgia and bilateral shoulder disability are denied.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
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