The Veteran's hearing loss and lumbar spine disability are rated at 20 percent each, resulting in a combined rating of 70 percent. The Board has granted a total disability rating due to unemployability (TDIU) based on the service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities include hearing loss, lumbar spine disability, and tinnitus, which are rated at 20 percent each. The combined rating is 70 percent, meeting the criteria for TDIU under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a).
- Claimed conditions
- Hearing Loss, Lumbar Spine Disability, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- August 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19164627
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 19164627.
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 bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an increased disability evaluation for PTSD but granted an earlier effective date for TDIU of August 6, 2012.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 17, 2019, for a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD but denied earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
- 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.
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