What can I claim secondary to concussion?
13 conditions in the Repatriation Medical Authority's Statements of Principles list concussion as a factor. If DVA has accepted your concussion, each of these has a documented pathway to a further claim.
At a glance
- Accepted conditionConcussion
- Conditions it may open13
- SourceRMA SoPs
- Chart Review$600 + GST
How a secondary claim works
Some Statement of Principles factors are not about service at all — they name another condition. Where DVA has already accepted your concussion, and another condition's SoP lists concussion as a factor, that part of the next claim is already established on your file. How a secondary claim works, in full →
Conditions that list concussion as a factor
Quoted from the instrument. A pathway existing is not the same as a claim succeeding — each factor carries thresholds your record has to satisfy.
Accommodation disorder
RH No. 38 of 2017 · BoP No. 39 of 2017
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (2): “having concussion at the time of the clinical onset of accommodation disorder” [clinical onset] — factor (7): “having concussion at the time of the clinical worsening of accommodation disorder” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (2): “having concussion at the time of the clinical onset of accommodation disorder” [clinical onset] — factor (7): “having concussion at the time of the clinical worsening of accommodation disorder” [worsening]
Arachnoid cyst
RH No. 11 of 2025 · BoP No. 12 of 2025
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (1): “having concussion within the 12 months before clinical onset of cranial arachnoid cyst” [clinical onset] — factor (3): “having concussion or a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 3 months before clinical worsening of cranial arachnoid cyst” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (2): “having concussion or a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 3 months before clinical worsening of cranial arachnoid cyst” [worsening]
Bipolar disorder
RH No. 53 of 2018 · BoP No. 54 of 2018
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (1): “for bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, cyclothymic disorder, major depressive episode with mixed features, other specified bipolar and related disorder and unspecified bipolar and related disorder only: (a) experiencing a category 1A stressor within the one year before the clinical onset of bipolar disorder; (b) experiencing a category 1B stressor within the one year before the clinical onset of bipolar disorder; (c) experiencing a category 2 stressor within the one year before the clinical onset of bipolar disorder; (d) experiencing the death of a significant other within the one year before the clinical onset of bipolar disorder; (e) experiencing the death from suicide of a close family member before the clinical onset of bipolar disorder; (f) being within 90 days postpartum at the time of the clinical onset of bipolar disorder; (g) having alcohol use disorder or substance use disorder at the time of the clinical onset of bipolar disorder; (h) having a disorder of mental health from Specified List 1 of clinically significant disorders of mental health within the ten years before the clinical onset of bipolar disorder; (i) having insomnia as specified at the time of the clinical onset of bipolar disorder; or (j) having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the five years before the clinical onset of bipolar disorder” [clinical onset] — factor (20): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the one year before the clinical worsening of bipolar disorder” [worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Note: bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, cyclothymic disorder, major depressive episode with mixed features and other specified bipolar and related disorder and unspecified bipolar and related disorder are defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
Chronic insomnia disorder
RH No. 37 of 2019 · BoP No. 38 of 2019
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (10): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the one year before the clinical onset of chronic insomnia disorder” [clinical onset] — factor (25): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the one year before the clinical worsening of chronic insomnia disorder” [worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Cluster headache
RH No. 57 of 2018 · BoP No. 58 of 2018
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (2): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury before the clinical onset of cluster headache, where cluster headache has developed within the seven days of: (a) injury to the head; or (b) regaining consciousness following the injury to the head; or (c) discontinuing medication that impairs the ability to sense or report headache following the injury to the head” [clinical onset]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Epilepsy
RH No. 84 of 2022 · BoP No. 85 of 2022
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (2): “having concussion within the 20 years before the clinical onset of epilepsy” [clinical onset] — factor (23): “having concussion within the 20 years before the clinical worsening of epilepsy” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (2): “having concussion within the 20 years before the clinical onset of epilepsy” [clinical onset] — factor (21): “having concussion within the 20 years before the clinical worsening of epilepsy” [worsening]
Hyperacusis
RH No. 27 of 2021 · BoP No. 28 of 2021
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (7): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 30 days before the clinical onset of hyperacusis” [clinical onset] — factor (25): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 30 days before the clinical worsening of hyperacusis” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (6): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 30 days before the clinical onset of hyperacusis” [clinical onset] — factor (21): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 30 days before the clinical worsening of hyperacusis” [worsening]
Narcolepsy
RH No. 11 of 2022 · BoP No. 12 of 2022
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (1): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 2 years before the clinical onset of narcolepsy, and in the case of sustained unconsciousness following injury to the head, the clinical onset of narcolepsy occurred within 2 years of regaining consciousness” [clinical onset] — factor (9): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 2 years before the clinical worsening of narcolepsy, and in the case of sustained unconsciousness following injury to the head, the clinical worsening of narcolepsy occurred within 2 years of regaining consciousness” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (1): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 2 years before the clinical onset of narcolepsy, and in the case of sustained unconsciousness following injury to the head, the clinical onset of narcolepsy occurred within 2 years of regaining consciousness” [clinical onset] — factor (8): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the 2 years before the clinical worsening of narcolepsy, and in the case of sustained unconsciousness following injury to the head, the clinical worsening of narcolepsy occurred within 2 years of regaining consciousness” [worsening]
Panic disorder
RH No. 55 of 2018 · BoP No. 56 of 2018
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (9): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the ten years before the clinical onset of panic disorder” [clinical onset] — factor (21): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the ten years before the clinical worsening of panic disorder” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (9): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the five years before the clinical onset of panic disorder” [clinical onset] — factor (20): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the five years before the clinical worsening of panic disorder” [worsening]
Schizophrenia
RH No. 83 of 2016 · BoP No. 84 of 2016
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (12): “having a concussion within the six months before the clinical onset of schizophrenia” [clinical onset]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Seizure
RH No. 37 of 2022 · BoP No. 38 of 2022
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (2): “having concussion within the 6 months before the clinical onset of seizure” [clinical onset]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (2): “having concussion within the 3 months before the clinical onset of seizure” [clinical onset]
Suicide and attempted suicide
RH No. 39 of 2025 · BoP No. 40 of 2025
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (24): “having a concussion within the 5 years before clinical onset” [clinical onset]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (23): “having a concussion within the 5 years before clinical onset” [clinical onset]
Tinnitus
RH No. 84 of 2020 · BoP No. 85 of 2020
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (19): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the three months before the clinical onset of tinnitus” [clinical onset] — factor (57): “having concussion or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury within the three months before the clinical worsening of tinnitus” [worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Other accepted conditions that also open accommodation disorder
If any of these is also on your file, it reaches some of the same conditions concussion does.
What DVA means by concussion
A claim is tested against the definition first. If the diagnosis on your file does not meet this wording, the factors below never get reached — so it is worth checking that what your doctor wrote matches what the instrument requires.
Concussion, for the purposes of the Statement of Principles, for the purposes of this Statement of Principles, concussion: (a) means a mild traumatic brain injury resulting from the transfer of kinetic energy to the brain from external physical forces, which is manifested by a temporary disturbance in neurological function that does not meet the criteria for moderate to severe traumatic brain injury; and (b) excludes injury from radiation, electricity, heat and surgery.
Note the exclusion. This instrument expressly excludes injury from radiation, electricity, heat and surgery. A diagnosis of that is not a diagnosis of concussion, and a claim framed the wrong way fails on the definition before any factor is considered.
Aggravation-only factors. In this instrument, subsections 9(2) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, concussion where it was already present before or during service. If service caused concussion outright, those factors are not available to you.
RH No. 92 of 2018 · BoP No. 93 of 2018 · 2 factors
Reviewed by Dr Thomas Perkins
Founding doctor, Veterans Health Centre · former RAAF aviation medical officer · 13 years working exclusively with ADF members and veterans. Full profile →
Concussion accepted?
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