The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for tension headaches, lumbar spine strain, left knee strain, and right thumb strain disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating than 30 percent for tension headaches or 10 percent for the other conditions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners' opinions supported the current disability ratings as they considered the Veteran's symptoms and medical records, which did not indicate very frequent completely prostrating attacks or incapacitating episodes that would warrant a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Tension Headaches, Lumbar Spine Strain with Degenerative Arthritis, Left Knee Strain with Old Avulsion Fracture Fragment Lateral Aspect of Proximal Tibia, Right Thumb Strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19184529
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, except for a 20 percent rating for lumbosacral strain.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an increased initial evaluation of 70 percent for PTSD but denied evaluations in excess of 10% for tension headaches and in excess of 30% for IBS, and denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome. The claims for additional service connections were remanded.
- Dismissed
All appeals for service connection and increased ratings were dismissed due to concurrent elections in the Supplemental Claim.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person due to his service-connected disabilities.
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