The Board granted service connection for cluster headaches as secondary to tinnitus and denied an initial compensable rating for a right ankle scar.
The deciding factor: The private medical opinion provided by the Veteran was found more persuasive than the VA opinions, leading to the grant of service connection for cluster headaches as secondary to tinnitus. The evidence did not support a compensable rating for the right ankle scar under applicable diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- Cluster headaches
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- April 23, 2025
- Citation
- A25037063
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 Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), alcohol use disorder, and cluster headaches. The claims were remanded for further development of the evidence regarding unspecified mood disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and somatic symptom disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating for cluster headaches prior to April 5, 2023, to obtain a retrospective medical opinion and outstanding VA treatment records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal for eligibility for benefits under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA's) Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers is remanded due to an AOJ error in satisfying a regulatory and statutory duty.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings and service connection, dismissing all claims.
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