The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings and TDIU was denied. The Veteran's migraine headaches were rated at 30 percent, which is the maximum rating available under VA guidelines. His PTSD with TBI has been rated at 100 percent since May 21, 2015. As he had a 100% disability rating for his service-connected conditions and no other disabilities rated as high as 60%, he was not eligible for TDIU.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's migraine headaches did not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to their frequency of attacks, which were less frequent than what would be required for a 50% rating. His PTSD with TBI has been rated at 100% since May 21, 2015, and as he had no other disabilities rated as high as 60%, he was not eligible for TDIU.
- Claimed conditions
- migraine headaches, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- September 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19172952
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 19172952.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
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 remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to incomplete medical records and insufficient opinions regarding the relationship between service, including a stick injury in England, and current left eye disability (including amblyopia and cataracts) as well as migraine headaches.
- Granted
The Veteran's migraine headaches are productive of very frequent, completely prostrating and prolonged attacks capable of producing severe economic inadaptability. The Board has granted a 50 percent disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected migraine headaches was granted with an effective date of February 28, 2023.
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