The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral shin splints, bilateral heel spurs, and initial compensable ratings for lumbar spine strain, left knee disability, and right knee disability. The claim for tinnitus was granted, but the claim for bilateral hearing loss and TBI were denied.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran withdrew his claims of service connection for these conditions in July 2015, thus dismissing them. For tinnitus, the Board noted that it had onset during active duty service and continued since then, finding this to be sufficient evidence. The hearing loss claim was denied as the auditory thresholds did not meet the criteria for a disability under VA regulations. The TBI claim was denied due to lack of current diagnosis or residual disability.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral shin splints, bilateral heel spurs, lumbar spine strain, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 19, 2018
- Citation
- 18111644
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 18111644.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- 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.
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