The Veteran's migraine headaches are rated at 50% since April 20, 2012. The costochondritis is rated at 10% from April 20, 2012 through January 17, 2020 and denied for a higher rating. The hiatal hernia and GERD are not entitled to an initial compensable rating. The residuals of right 5th metacarpal fracture and left knee chondromalacia patella do not warrant a higher than 10% rating. The traumatic brain injury with cognitive impairment is rated at 70% since April 20, 2012.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's migraine headaches meet the criteria for a 50% rating due to frequent and severe attacks that cause significant economic inadaptability.
- Claimed conditions
- migraine headaches, costochondritis, hiatal hernia and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), residuals of right 5th metacarpal fracture, left knee chondromalacia patella, traumatic brain injury with cognitive impairment
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- October 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20068645
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,604 · Granted: 65% (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 20068645.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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 remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to incomplete medical records and insufficient opinions regarding the relationship between service, including a stick injury in England, and current left eye disability (including amblyopia and cataracts) as well as migraine headaches.
- Granted
The Veteran's migraine headaches are productive of very frequent, completely prostrating and prolonged attacks capable of producing severe economic inadaptability. The Board has granted a 50 percent disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected migraine headaches was granted with an effective date of February 28, 2023.
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