The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches was denied due to lack of new and material evidence.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and depression was reopened, but the claim remains denied as there is no credible supporting evidence that an in-service stressor occurred.
The deciding factor: There is insufficient evidence to support a finding that the Veteran experienced or witnessed any traumatic events during his military service that could be considered a valid stressor for PTSD. The Veteran's reports of stressful events were not corroborated by official records, and there was no credible supporting evidence provided.
- Claimed conditions
- Migraine Headaches, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Acquired Psychiatric Disability, to include PTSD and Depression, Right Shoulder Disability, Left Shoulder Disability, Sinus Disability, Hypertension, Liver Disease, Hepatitis C, White Matter Disease (claimed as undiagnosed illness)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 2, 2020
- Citation
- 20000049
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,569 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20000049.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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