The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with the exception of his right ankle and left ankle disabilities. The Board found that the Veteran has credible reports of continuous headaches since service, which are related to an in-service injury while playing softball. Service connection is also established for migraines (headaches), low back disability, cervical spine disability, and paresthesia of the right upper extremity.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's credible reports of continuous headaches since service were consistent with his in-service injury while playing softball, which are related to an in-service injury. The VA examiner did not provide a rationale for their opinion regarding the relationship between the current migraines and the in-service injury.
- Claimed conditions
- residual of a scar, status-post laceration below the left eye, tinnitus, migraines (headaches), lumbar spine degenerative joint disease (low back disability), cervical spine degenerative arthritis (cervical spine disability), paresthesia of the right upper extremity, right ankle disability, left ankle disability, numbness in the left upper extremity, paresthesia of the left lower extremity, paresthesia of the right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 3, 2018
- Citation
- 1826589
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 1826589.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has expanded the scope of the claim to include any mental health disorder raised by the record and has remanded for additional development regarding service connection for left leg, ankle, and psychiatric disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
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