The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current diagnosis of a disability.,The earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for tinnitus prior to July 9, 2018, is denied due to lack of evidence showing an increase in severity within one year prior to the claim.,The earlier effective date for the increased rating of the headache disability prior to July 9, 2018, is denied as there is no evidence of an ascertainable increase in severity within one year prior to the claim.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for her headache disability is denied.
The deciding factor: There is no current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss, and the most probative medical evidence does not indicate such a condition. The Veteran's statements regarding hearing loss are considered credible but do not establish the presence of a current disability.,The weight of the evidence is against the claim for an earlier effective date prior to July 9, 2018, as there is no evidence showing an increase in severity within one year prior to the claim. The earliest possible effective date for service connection is July 9, 2018.,The weight of the evidence is against the claim for an earlier effective date prior to July 9, 2018, as there is no evidence showing an increase in severity within one year prior to the claim. The earliest possible effective date for a rating increase is July 9, 2018.,The Veteran's headache disability has manifested with characteristic prostrating attacks occurring on average once a month and does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 8100.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, headache disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- November 16, 2023
- Citation
- 23061314
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 23061314.
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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 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.
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