The appeal for initial disability ratings in excess of 30 percent for migraine headaches and 10 percent for vertigo associated with the headaches was dismissed, while service connection for hypertension associated with herbicide exposure was granted with a 0 percent evaluation effective August 10, 2022.
The deciding factor: The July 2023 rating decision was purely ministerial in nature and did not make any findings of fact or law as to the disabilities addressed. The issues were dismissed due to the lack of new evidence or legal basis for appeal.
- Claimed conditions
- Migraine headaches, Vertigo associated with migraine headaches, Hypertension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 17, 2025
- Citation
- A25024272
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates of November 5, 2021, for the grants of service connection and eligibility for DEA benefits.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension, to include as secondary to left orchiectomy, for further development in accordance with the PACT Act.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for PTSD and COPD, while remanding other issues including entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, and an initial rating for PTSD.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.