The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability that began during service or is at least as likely as not related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,The Veteran's claim for initial 50 percent rating for migraine headaches with aura and photophobia is granted effective June 6, 2014. The appeal regarding the remanded issues (liver disorder, left knee disability, right knee disability, and PTSD) is also remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hearing loss does not meet VA’s definition of a disability as defined by 38 C.F.R. § 3.385.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Liver Disorder, Migraine Headaches with Aura and Photophobia, Left Knee Disability, Right Knee Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 9, 2018
- Citation
- 18149440
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 18149440.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities are rated at 10% each, and the Board finds that higher ratings are not warranted based on the evidence of record.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are not related to his active service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability, finding that there is no evidence to support an etiological relationship between his current condition and his military service.
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