The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for migraine headaches and an acquired psychiatric disability were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of worsening in his hearing loss or a link between his migraines and tinnitus, nor could it establish a continuity of symptoms since service.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show any worsening in the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss over time, and there was no credible evidence linking his migraine headaches to service or his service-connected tinnitus.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, migraine headache, acquired psychiatric disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 20, 2018
- Citation
- 18120144
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 18120144.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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