The Veteran's migraine headache disability has been granted a 50% rating, but no higher. The Board found that her headaches are characterized by characteristic prostrating attacks occurring more than once per month and significantly impacting employment. Service connection for right ear hearing loss, fibromyalgia, and uterine fibroids is remanded due to the need for additional evidence.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's migraine headache disability was found to have very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability, warranting a 50% rating under DC 8100.
- Claimed conditions
- migraine headache, left foot bunion and hallux valgus with degenerative arthritis, right foot bunion and hallux valgus with degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19191694
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,549 · Granted: 29% (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 19191694.
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 dismissed the appeal for an earlier effective date for the migraine headache disability rating, as it was already granted from August 31, 2007. The issues of increased ratings for PTSD and major depressive disorder with TBI are remanded due to a duty to assist error in not obtaining SSA records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claim for a higher rating for migraine headaches due to conflicting evidence and need for further clarification.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right and left knee conditions, as well as migraine headaches, due to inadequate medical opinions. The Veteran's bilateral knee conditions are related to active service or secondary to his lumbar spine condition. His migraine headaches are related to active service.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's migraine headache disability is at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected PTSD, and thus grants service connection for this condition on a secondary basis.
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