The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and left ankle pain, and remanded the claims for increased ratings in excess of 30 percent for chronic headaches, 20 percent for a back disability, 10 percent for a neck disability, 20 percent for radiculopathy of the left upper extremity, and 10 percent for right foot plantar fasciitis, as well as service connection for a traumatic brain injury.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support the presence of current disabilities or a nexus to service for bilateral hearing loss and left ankle pain. For increased ratings, further examination was needed due to the ameliorative effects of medication on the severity of the disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss, Left ankle pain, Chronic headaches, Back disability, Neck disability, Radiculopathy of the left upper extremity, Right foot plantar fasciitis, Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 26, 2025
- Citation
- A25055443
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for chronic headaches, CFS, dermatosis, bilateral RLS, a lumbar spine disability, and sleep apnea but denied a compensable evaluation for allergic rhinitis.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 20 percent for right lower extremity (RLE) radiculopathy but remanded the back disability claim for further development.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, as there was no evidence of a current disability in the right ear and insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the left ear hearing loss and service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for a medical clarification regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected epilepsy has aggravated his bilateral hearing loss.
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