The Board has granted a 50 percent rating for posttraumatic headaches from December 7, 2010 to October 17, 2016. The effective date of this decision is October 18, 2016. However, the claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU and SMC based on need for aid and attendance remains pending as it has been remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic headaches warranted a 50 percent rating from December 7, 2010 to October 17, 2016. The effective date of this decision is set at October 18, 2016.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- January 10, 2023
- Citation
- 23001477
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 3,217 · Granted: 46% (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 23001477.
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 service-connected posttraumatic headaches have been rated at a 50 percent evaluation, which is the maximum rating available under Diagnostic Code 8100 for very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for posttraumatic headaches was denied. The Board dismissed the claims for TDIU and SMC due to service-connected posttraumatic headaches as it did not have jurisdiction over these issues.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing (SAH) or special home adaptation (SHA) grant due to his respiratory disability, which is presumed by the PACT Act. The Board found that the Veteran does not have a permanent and total disability resulting in anatomical loss of use of both hands, burns, or residuals of an inhalational injury.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 50 percent for posttraumatic headaches from February 10, 2020.
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