The Veteran's claim of service connection for a headache disorder has been reopened. The Board finds new and material evidence to support the reopening of this claim, but remands the case for further examination and opinion regarding both stroke and headache disorders.
The deciding factor: New and material evidence was submitted that relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim for service connection for a headache disorder. The Veteran's claims for service connection for stroke and headache disorder are also remanded due to insufficient evidence to decide these cases, as required by McLendon v. Nicholson.
- Claimed conditions
- Headache disorder, Stroke
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19159498
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,316 · Granted: 43% (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 19159498.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that remand is required for several issues, including service connection for stroke and memory loss, as well as an increased rating for PTSD. The AOJ must verify the Veteran's claimed in-service exposures, obtain all relevant treatment records, and provide a medical nexus opinion regarding the nature of his disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's left ankle disability and headache disorder secondary to PTSD with alcohol use disorder have been granted increased ratings, effective September 16, 2018.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's headache disorder is remanded for further examination and opinion to determine if it is related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, headache disorder, and stroke residuals are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The AOJ needs to determine if the Veteran participated in a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) during his honorable period of active service from March 1982 to September 1985 and obtain VA examinations for hypertension, stroke residuals, and headaches.
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