The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, diabetes mellitus, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal for an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent for peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity has been granted with a 20 percent evaluation.,The Veteran's appeal for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has been denied.,The Veteran's appeal for an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent for peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity has been granted with a 20 percent evaluation.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and the claims were dismissed as a result.,The evidence did not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was rated at noncompensable under DC 6100.,The Veteran's tinnitus disability was rated at 10 percent under DC 6200, and the claim was denied as it did not warrant a higher rating.,The evidence did not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity.,The evidence did not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, Peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, Diabetes mellitus, Bilateral hearing disability, Tinnitus, Peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, Peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 26, 2018
- Citation
- 18139080
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 18139080.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with hammer toes, hallux valgus and degenerative arthritis, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral kidney cysts, rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.