The Board granted an initial 30 percent rating for migraines and a 70 percent rating for depressive disorder, based on the severity of the Veteran's symptoms.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's migraines have been manifested by characteristic prostrating attacks averaging once a month over the last several months, which meets the criteria for a 30 percent rating. The severity, frequency, and duration of the Veteran's psychiatric symptoms more closely approximated occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas but did not more closely approximate total occupational and social impairment.
- Claimed conditions
- migraines, depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- March 27, 2025
- Citation
- A25028801
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.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a 70 percent initial disability rating for PTSD effective December 2, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent was denied. The appeal also included claims for service connection and ratings for various conditions, some of which were granted while others were remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for migraines, finding that his symptoms more closely approximate a 30 percent disability rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for migraines, including as secondary to cervical strain, due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors in not translating relevant Spanish documents and ensuring a VA examiner considered all evidence.
- Granted
The Board granted a disability rating of 50 percent for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, characterized as depressive disorder, effective May 1, 2017.
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