The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, headache disorder, residual pain of lumbar spine, sciatica of the left lower extremity, and sciatica of the right lower extremity all related to the Veteran's period of active duty training (ACDUTRA) from May 2, 1986 to August 30, 1986.
The deciding factor: The evidence established that the Veteran had hearing loss for VA purposes during his ACDUTRA and that it was related to service. The same period of service also showed a diagnosis of headache disorder and residual pain of lumbar spine, which were found to be related to service. Sciatica of the left and right lower extremities were also found to be related to service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Headache Disorder, Residual Pain of Lumbar Spine, Sciatica of the Left Lower Extremity, Sciatica of the Right Lower Extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 22, 2026
- Citation
- A26006180
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 A26006180.
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.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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