The Veteran's tinnitus, lumbar strain, and left lower extremity radiculopathy have been granted service connection. An initial 40 percent evaluation has been granted for the lumbar strain condition, effective April 23, 2012. A separate 10 percent evaluation has also been granted for the left lower extremity radiculopathy beginning September 7, 2017.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's tinnitus was found to be related to service exposure and his current symptoms. The lumbar strain condition met the criteria for a 40 percent rating based on its orthopedic manifestations. The left lower extremity radiculopathy warranted an additional separate evaluation due to its neurological component.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral tinnitus, lumbar strain, obstructive sleep apnea, left lower extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- April 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19128681
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 Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to a duty to assist error.
- Partly granted
The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection and granted initial 40 percent ratings for left upper extremity CTS, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.
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