The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for tinnitus is dismissed as he withdrew his claim prior to the Board's decision.,His bilateral hearing loss remains at a 30 percent disability rating, which is the highest possible under the schedular criteria. No higher rating is warranted given the effective date of this award.,The Veteran’s claims for service connection for a heart condition, type II diabetes mellitus, and CKD are remanded due to outstanding private medical records from Dr. A.M. and Dr. P.L.,His claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus is also remanded as it involves herbicide exposure, but the Veteran has not provided any relevant private treatment records.,The Veteran’s claim for service connection for CKD remains pending due to outstanding private medical records from Dr. A.M. and Dr. P.L.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew his appeal for a higher rating for tinnitus, leaving no issues remaining in this case.,The effective date of the current 30 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss is already backdated to January 11, 2017. No further increase is possible under the schedular criteria.,Service connection requires evidence of a link between service and the condition. The Veteran has not provided any relevant private treatment records from Dr. A.M. and Dr. P.L.,The effective date of the current 30 percent rating for type II diabetes mellitus is already backdated to January 11, 2017. No further increase is possible under the schedular criteria.,Service connection requires evidence of a link between service and the condition. The Veteran has not provided any relevant private treatment records from Dr. A.M. and Dr. P.L.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, heart condition, type II diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease (CKD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20045926
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 20045926.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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