The Board denied an evaluation of cluster headaches in excess of 50 percent, as the Veteran is already receiving the highest evaluation for this condition.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's cluster headaches do not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic code.
- Claimed conditions
- cluster headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- April 16, 2025
- Citation
- A25035294
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 an effective date of January 19, 2016, for the award of service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, cluster headaches, back muscle pain, rhinosinusitis, and right knee painful joint.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of November 26, 2018 for the award of a 50 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected cluster headaches.
- Partly granted
The appeal for service connection for depression was dismissed as it is subsumed by the already service-connected PTSD. A 50 percent rating for cluster headaches was granted, and a higher rating for autoimmune hepatitis was denied.
- Granted
The veteran was granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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