The Board denied service connection for a cervical spine disorder, right ear hearing loss disability, and left ear hearing loss disability. The claimant's headache disability was rated at 0 percent.
The deciding factor: Clear and unmistakable evidence showed that the hearing loss on the left preexisted service entrance and was not aggravated in service. A bilateral hearing loss disability was not manifest during service or within one year of separation from service, and is not attributable to service. The headache disability was manifested by low-grade headaches.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine disorder, Right ear hearing loss disability, Left ear hearing loss disability, Mixed vascular headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 22, 2008
- Citation
- 0816936
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss disability due to unreliable and inconsistent responses during audiometric testing.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an increased rating for allergic rhinitis and remanded the claims for cervical spine, hip, thigh, and hip extension disorders for further development.
- Partly granted
The appeal was denied for service connection of a cervical spine disorder, and several claims were remanded for further development.
- Partly granted
The Board denied the claims for an initial compensable rating for left ear sensorineural hearing loss, service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability, and a left eye disorder. However, it granted service connection for a back disability and radiculopathy of both lower extremities as secondary to the back disability.
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