The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for his acquired psychiatric disorder, but the Board finds that there are no documents prior to March 25, 2013 that can be construed as an intent to file a claim to reopen or as a claim to reopen service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder. An earlier effective date is therefore not warranted.,The Veteran also seeks higher disability ratings and entitlement to SMC for his migraines and acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board finds these issues are inextricably intertwined with the previous remanded issues, so they must be remanded as well.
The deciding factor: There were no documents prior to March 25, 2013 that can be construed as an intent to file a claim to reopen or as a claim to reopen service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- acquired psychiatric disorder, migraines
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 5, 2022
- Citation
- 22000563
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,062 · Granted: 34% (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 22000563.
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 claim for service connection for migraines was reopened due to new evidence. Service connection is granted for painful scars, but the rating assigned remains at 10 percent. The claims for fibromyalgia and bilateral shoulder disability are denied.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection on the merits are being remanded due to new evidence and development needs. The maximum disability rating for tinnitus has already been assigned.
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