Effective dates of October 14, 2013 have been granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. An effective date earlier than January 14, 2008 has been denied for persistent depressive disorder.,Secondary service connection for migraines (aggravated by PTSD and tinnitus) and obstructive sleep apnea (aggravated by PTSD) have been granted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's headaches are aggravated by his service-connected tinnitus and acquired psychiatric disability, while his sleep disorder is aggravated by his service-connected acquired psychiatric disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Persistent Depressive Disorder (PTSD), Migraines, Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- February 20, 2020
- Citation
- 20013342
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 20013342.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
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