The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD, migraine headaches, and myofascial neck pain. Effective September 7, 2018, SMC was granted under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(t).
The deciding factor: The Veteran had a 100 percent schedular rating for PTSD for the entire appeal period and no higher rating is warranted as a matter of law. The maximum schedular rating for migraine headaches has already been assigned, and referral for an extraschedular rating is not warranted. A rating in excess of 10 percent is not warranted for myofascial neck pain.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with depression, including bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder and alcohol dependence, Migraine headaches, Myofascial neck pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 8, 2025
- Citation
- A25032346
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 earlier effective dates of November 5, 2021, for the grants of service connection and eligibility for DEA benefits.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and migraine headaches, but remanded the claims for a low back disability and related radiculopathies.
- Denied
The Board denied the claims for service connection for a facial injury, head injury, and left thumb injury as there was no evidence of current disability or functional impairment. The claims for GERD, squamous mucosa, migraine headaches, and hypertension were remanded for further development.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal for failure to timely file a Notice of Disagreement (NOD) with the July 2024 rating decision.
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