The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for TBI and migraine headaches due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran needs further examinations to determine if he has residuals from his in-service TBI and whether his current migraines are related to his service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on a failure to provide adequate rationale regarding the etiology of the Veteran's TBI and migraine headaches, necessitating additional medical opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Migraine Headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 11, 2020
- Citation
- A20018388
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 A20018388.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's 50% disability rating for migraine headaches was restored as the evidence did not show actual improvement in his ability to function under ordinary conditions of life and work.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and its residuals, including unsteady gait, somnolence, and cognitive dysfunction. The decision is based on the Veteran's credible lay statements about in-service head injuries and subsequent seizures.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and therefore, service connection for TBI is denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's migraine headaches are rated at a 50 percent rating, effective December 3, 2021, due to frequent and severe attacks that significantly impact his ability to work.
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