The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches is reopened due to new evidence showing a link between his service-connected sinusitis and his headaches. The claims for higher ratings for various disabilities, including psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, sinusitis, rhinitis, hemorrhoids, appendectomy residuals, scar of the right middle finger, obstructive sleep apnea, and TDIU are all remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The new evidence includes VA treatment records indicating that medication for service-connected sinusitis caused headaches, and a VA examination report associating the Veteran's headaches with his sinusitis. The Board finds this sufficient to reopen the claim for service connection for headaches.
- Claimed conditions
- headaches, psychiatric disorder (anxiety disorder NOS), bilateral hearing loss, sinusitis, rhinitis, hemorrhoids, residuals of appendectomy with carcinoid of the appendix and scar, scar of the right middle finger, obstructive sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 25, 2018
- Citation
- 18144495
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 18144495.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- 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.
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