The Board denied readjudication of entitlement to total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and special monthly compensation (SMC), but remanded the claims for service connection for a mental health disability and headaches.
The deciding factor: The evidence submitted after the last final denial was not new and relevant, thus it cannot be used to readjudicate the TDIU and SMC claims. A VA examination is needed for the mental health claim as there are symptoms reported but no medical opinion provided.
- Claimed conditions
- Migraines, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 28, 2025
- Citation
- A25102685
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,500 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A25102685.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's initial evaluation for tension headaches to include migraines is granted, with a rating of 50 percent effective from May 23, 2023.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for tension and migraine headaches is remanded due to the inadequacy of the September 2020 VA examination report, which did not consider the ameliorative effects of medication.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his migraine headaches was denied as the evidence did not show that his migraines were productive of severe economic inadaptability.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent effective September 25, 2024. The issue of migraines (headaches) is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
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