The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been withdrawn. The claim for tinnitus was not granted as there is no medical evidence indicating a link between the condition and his military service. The Veteran's degenerative changes of the lumbosacral spine are currently rated at 20 percent, but an increased rating is denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. For tinnitus, there was no medical evidence linking it to his military service. The current evaluation for degenerative changes of the lumbosacral spine does not warrant a higher rating as the disability picture does not meet criteria for an extraschedular evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Degenerative Changes of the Lumbosacral Spine
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 4, 2010
- Citation
- 1005141
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 1005141.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
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 depressive disorder as secondary to hypertension and tinnitus, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an increased rating for hypertension.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but remanded the claim for degenerative disc disease with degenerative arthritis.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for PTSD and COPD, while remanding other issues including entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, and an initial rating for PTSD.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.