The Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar degenerative disc disease was denied. The rating for migraines in excess of 50% and the rating for depressive disorder and chronic sleep impairment in excess of 70% were also denied.,Service connection for migraines, depressive disorder and chronic sleep impairment, and TDIU were granted.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that there was no evidence to support a nexus between the Veteran's current lumbar disability and service. The Veteran did not provide any credible medical opinion linking his current condition to service.,The Veteran’s migraines are already rated at the maximum allowed by the applicable Diagnostic Code, so an increase in rating is not warranted.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar degenerative disc disease, migraines, depressive disorder and chronic sleep impairment
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- December 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19192524
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 19192524.
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 Veteran was granted a 70 percent initial disability rating for PTSD effective December 2, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent was denied. The appeal also included claims for service connection and ratings for various conditions, some of which were granted while others were remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for migraines, finding that his symptoms more closely approximate a 30 percent disability rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for migraines, including as secondary to cervical strain, due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors in not translating relevant Spanish documents and ensuring a VA examiner considered all evidence.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a restoration of the separate 10 percent rating for vertigo, an earlier effective date for service connection for vertigo and migraines, and a 30 percent rating for hypothyroidism with heart murmur. The decision also denied an earlier effective date for hypertension and remanded claims for obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, and individual unemployability.
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