The Veteran's migraine headache disability is not service-connected as it predated and was aggravated by a motor vehicle accident, not related to service.,There is no evidence of PTSD or an acquired psychiatric disability (including depressive disorder) in service. The Veteran has reported symptoms since October 2010 but lacks a current diagnosis.,The Veteran's sleep disorder remains unexplained without further medical evidence.,Bilateral pes planus was not aggravated by service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s migraine headache disability is related to the 1989 MVA, not service. The STRs are silent for pre-service or in-service complaints of headaches.
- Claimed conditions
- Migraine headache, Acquired psychiatric disability (to include PTSD and depressive disorder), Sleep disorder, Foot disability (bilateral pes planus)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20001817
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,242 · Granted: 24% (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 20001817.
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
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