The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches has been granted. The initial rating of 50 percent effective November 25, 2015, was appropriate, and a higher initial rating is not warranted during this time period.,Service connection for PTSD has been granted with an initial 70 percent rating effective June 3, 2016.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's headaches are secondary to his service-connected PTSD. Effective June 3, 2016, the service-connected PTSD is manifested by, at worst, occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas; there is no evidence of total occupational and social impairment.
- Claimed conditions
- Depression, Fatigue, Insomnia/Sleep Disturbance, Muscle Weakness, Neuropsychiatric Disorder (neurasthenia, memory problems, difficulty concentrating), Neurobehavioral Effects, Peripheral Neuropathy of the Right Lower Extremity, Peripheral Neuropathy of the Left Lower Extremity, Headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- February 3, 2022
- Citation
- 22006315
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 22006315.
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 case due to insufficient findings regarding PTSD and depression, requiring a new VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to errors in the AOJ's handling of the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder, and depression. The AOJ is required to verify the Veteran's claimed stressor and obtain medical opinions regarding the diagnoses and their relation to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for obstructive sleep apnea and headaches, finding that the evidence does not support a finding of persistent daytime hypersomnolence or other manifestations consistent with a compensable disability rating under the criteria established by Diagnostic Codes. The matter is remanded to obtain additional information from the Veteran regarding his headaches and their impact on his daily life.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Anxiety, and Depression as these conditions are found to be related to the Veteran's active military service.
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