The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) due to recurrent headaches, finding that he could still maintain past work in quiet environments and avoid noisy or high-stress jobs.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran would be absent 24 days per year due to his service-connected headache disability, which was rated at 50 percent. The Board considered both economic and noneconomic components of unemployability but found no sufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility that the Veteran is unemployable by reason of his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Recurrent headaches
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 17, 2024
- Citation
- A24066574
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a thoracic muscle strain with compression fractures of the thoracic spine, but remanded claims for bilateral pes planus and recurrent headaches for further development.
- Denied
The veteran's claims for service connection for sinus bradycardia and hypertension were denied, as there was no evidence of current disabilities. The initial ratings for sinusitis, recurrent headaches, chronic strain of the lumbosacral spine, status post right knee menisectomy, and degenerative joint disease of the right knee were also denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for sarcoidosis as new and relevant evidence has been received since the previous denial.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.