The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and higher initial ratings, except for a granted increase to 50 percent for migraine.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support an earlier effective date or higher rating due to the lack of new and relevant evidence within one year of the initial claim submission in December 2022.
- Claimed conditions
- migraine, major depressive disorder (MDD), traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- March 20, 2025
- Citation
- A25026174
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for left knee strain, right knee strain, right wrist strain, and TBI. The Veteran's PTSD rating was remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for unspecified anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding their etiology.
- Dismissed
The veteran's appeal requests for service connection and increased ratings were denied due to untimeliness, as the appeals were not filed within one year of the respective rating decisions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for migraine and muscle tension headaches, including as secondary to bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, otitis media, and spine arthritis.
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