The Veteran's headaches are granted service connection. The right shoulder disability ratings for limitation of motion and DJD status post dislocation and SLAP tear remain unchanged, but the rating for painful scars is increased to 20 percent from March 3, 2017 to February 19, 2019.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's headaches are found to have had their onset during service based on his consistent and credible reports of continuous symptoms since approximately 2011. The right shoulder disability ratings remain unchanged as the evidence does not support a higher rating for limitation of motion or DJD status post dislocation and SLAP tear.
- Claimed conditions
- Headaches, Right Shoulder Limitation of Motion, Right Shoulder Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) Status Post Dislocation and SLAP Tear, Right Shoulder Painful Scars
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- March 3, 2023
- Citation
- 23013032
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 23013032.
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 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 Veteran's OSA is granted as secondary to PTSD, but his headaches are denied due to lack of service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's headaches, which manifested as very frequent and prolonged attacks causing severe economic inadaptability, are granted a 50 percent disability rating for the entire period on appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for a 30 percent disability rating for his service-connected headaches, which was awarded with a noncompensable rating at 0 percent. The Board is remanding the claim due to inadequate examination and the need for a new VA examination to evaluate the severity of the Veteran's headaches without considering the ameliorating effects of any medication.
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