The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the increased rating of 20 percent for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for headaches is granted, but not with an earlier effective date.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of evidence did not support assigning an earlier effective date than May 31, 2017, for the increased rating of 20 percent for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's headaches were found to be very frequent and prostrating, but not severe enough to warrant a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- July 8, 2020
- Citation
- 20045515
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 20045515.
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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