During military service or after a service member leaves the military, they may develop recurring, severe migraines that affect their ability to perform their duties or work in civilian employment after discharge. Chronic migraines may result from various service-connected conditions, such as traumatic brain injuries. As a result, a veteran who develops migraines due to their military service may qualify for VA disability benefits. However, proving the frequency and severity of migraines may become critical to establishing the condition’s qualifying nature and securing an accurate disability rating.
How the VA Rates Migraines
The VA rates service-connected migraines according to the criteria in the VA’s Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD). The VASRD assigns diagnostic codes to specific medical conditions – migraines have code 8100. The VASRD rates migraines with a disability rating of 0, 10, 30, or 50, depending on the nature of the symptoms caused by a veteran’s condition. These rating criteria include:
- Zero percent – Less frequent attacks
- Ten percent – Characteristic prostrating attacks occurring on average once every two months over the past several months
- 30 percent – Characteristic prostrating attacks, occurring on average once a month, over the past several months
- 50 percent – Very frequent, completing prostrating and prolonged attacks that cause severe economic inadaptability
A “prostrating attack” refers to a severe episode of migraines that leaves a person completely incapacitated and requires them to lie down in a quiet, dark room due to severe pain, sensitivity to light or sound, or nausea. The term “economic inadaptability” refers to an inability to meet workplace demands due to the consequences of a medical condition, such as frequent absences from work, reduced work performance, or an inability to hold a steady job.
Proving Migraine Frequency
The VA’s rating of service-connected chronic migraines largely depends on the frequency of a veteran’s migraine attacks. Proving the frequency of migraines will require a veteran to present consistent, detailed medical documentation that shows efforts to seek treatment for chronic migraines over an extended period. Veterans may also keep migraine logs to track the date and duration of migraines and identify specific triggers for migraine attacks.
Proving the Severity of Migraines
Medical records, migraine logs, and testimony from family or household members can also help prove the severity of migraines by showing that attacks require a veteran to lie down, cause them to become sensitive to light or sound, or trigger nausea or vomiting. Evidence should distinguish between mild headaches and disabling migraines, with the latter rendering a person unable to function due to their need to lie down or rest in a dark, quiet space.
Demonstrating Economic and Functional Effects
A veteran can also demonstrate adverse effects from migraines through evidence such as work records that document absences or decreased work performance. Employers and co-workers can also provide statements describing the effects of a veteran’s migraines on their attendance and performance at work.
What to Do If the VA Denies Your Migraine Claim
Unfortunately, veterans may have difficulties securing disability benefits for service-connected migraines if the VA concludes that the veteran has only suffered ordinary headaches or that they have not experienced frequent migraines. Fortunately, the VA provides an administrative appeals process that allows veterans to challenge an initial denial of their disability benefits application.
Contact Our Firm for Legal Assistance
When you experience recurring migraines resulting from your military service, you may have the right to receive disability benefits from the VA. Contact Veterans Law Attorneys today for a free, no-obligation consultation with a VA disability lawyer to learn more about how the VA classifies and rates service-connected chronic migraines and what steps you can take to prove the frequency and severity of your attacks to ensure you receive the disability compensation you deserve.
