BVA decisions by condition
Tic douloureux or trigeminal neuralgia: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a tic douloureux or trigeminal neuralgia issue in 607 decisions. It granted the tic douloureux or trigeminal neuralgia issue in 16.6% of them, below the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 27.3%, and remanded it in 55.0%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 37.8% were granted.
Decisions
607
2017–2026
Granted
16.6%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
37.8%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
55.0%
Denied: 27.3%
Tic douloureux or trigeminal neuralgia outcomes by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 54 | 11.1% | 38.9% | 46.3% |
| 2020 | 83 | 13.3% | 32.5% | 53.0% |
| 2021 | 80 | 8.8% | 23.8% | 66.3% |
| 2022 | 83 | 12.0% | 21.7% | 66.3% |
| 2023 | 81 | 18.5% | 21.0% | 60.5% |
| 2024 | 71 | 22.5% | 31.0% | 46.5% |
| 2025 | 90 | 22.2% | 26.7% | 50.0% |
Evidence in granted and denied tic douloureux or trigeminal neuralgia decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the tic douloureux or trigeminal neuralgia issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive nexus opinion | 107 | 71.4% | 22.4% | +49.0 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 70 | 70.4% | 29.6% | +40.8 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 219 | 54.1% | 30.2% | +23.9 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 57 | 55.3% | 34.9% | +20.3 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 205 | 43.6% | 33.3% | +10.3 pts |
| Lay statement | 482 | 38.4% | 34.3% | +4.1 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 77.2% of the decisions that granted tic douloureux or trigeminal neuralgia.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 32.7% of grants and 14.5% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often tic douloureux or trigeminal neuralgia was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative nexus opinion | 313 | 34.7% | 43.0% | −8.3 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 422 | 34.7% | 51.0% | −16.3 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied tic douloureux or trigeminal neuralgia
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established12
- Caused by the service-connected disability12
- New and relevant evidence submitted2
- Onset in service2
- Secondary service connection granted2
Most common reasons in denials
- No current diagnosis20
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis18
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim16
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service15
- Service records negative or silent15
- Current diagnosis established8
- Criteria for service connection not met3
- No nexus to service established3
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent tic douloureux or trigeminal neuralgia decisions
Granted
Favorable Finding: Current diagnosis of essential tremors; Favorable Finding: Related to presumed in-service chemical exposure (TCE); Benefit of the doubt resolved in Veteran's favor
Lay evidence established in-service onset and persistence; Conflicting medical opinions in equipoise; Benefit of the doubt resolved in veteran's favor
Evidence in approximate balance; Benefit of the doubt applied; RO conceded noise exposure for tinnitus; Private opinion found nexus
Denied
No current diagnosis of central pain syndrome.; Lay testimony deemed incompetent and inconsistent.; VA examination did not identify central pain syndrome.
Service treatment records negative for sciatica; No in-service complaints of sciatica; First diagnosis decades after service; Multiple VA opinions found less likely than not service-related
Not documented in service; Did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of separation; Not otherwise etiologically related to active service
Rules that apply to tic douloureux or trigeminal neuralgia claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your tic douloureux or trigeminal neuralgia case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a tic douloureux or trigeminal neuralgia issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.