The appeal for an increased rating for tinnitus is dismissed. The October 2014 Notice of Disagreement was timely regarding the November 2013 and February 2014 rating decisions, but the June 2018 NOD was not valid as it raised issues that had never been adjudicated before.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew his claim for an increased rating for tinnitus during his hearing. The October 2014 Notice of Disagreement was timely regarding the November 2013 and February 2014 rating decisions, but the June 2018 NOD raised issues that had not been adjudicated before.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, lumbar spine, cervical spine, bilateral hearing loss, pes planus of the bilateral feet, vertigo, Meniere's disease, ankles
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20080249
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,569 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20080249.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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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