The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's low back condition, cervical spine degenerative changes, and PTSD with TBI, but granted a 10 percent rating for post-traumatic headaches. The Board also remanded service connection for a bilateral foot condition.
The deciding factor: The severity of the Veteran's conditions did not meet the criteria for higher ratings; however, resolving reasonable doubt in his favor, he was granted a 10 percent rating for post-traumatic headaches due to characteristic prostrating attacks averaging one in two months.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracolumbar spine degenerative spondylosis (low back condition), cervical spine degenerative changes, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic headaches, bilateral foot condition, to include flat foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 17, 2025
- Citation
- A25035699
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,548 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation A25035699.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's head injuries and post-traumatic headaches following an October 2023 VA shuttle bus incident are not compensable under 38 U.S.C. §1151 because the injuries occurred before any treatment or examination by VA.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine degenerative changes, left shoulder degenerative changes, lumbar spine degenerative changes, and right shoulder osteoarthritis due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran was not afforded VA examinations for these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's left inguinal hernia repair scar is not entitled to a compensable rating, but he is granted a separate 10 percent rating for painful scars. The PTSD with TBI remains at the current 50% and 70% ratings respectively.,Service connection claims for cardiac arrhythmia and GERD are remanded.
- Granted
The Board has granted an effective date of September 7, 2018 for the assignment of a 50 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected post-traumatic headaches. The decision is based on the fact that the Veteran submitted an intent to file for compensation with VA on September 7, 2018, and his claim was received by VA within one year of this submission.
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