The Veteran's appeal for service connection for COPD was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his claim prior to a decision.,Service connection for tinnitus and vertigo were denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service. Bilateral hearing loss is remanded, and any acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) is also remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew his appeal for COPD prior to a decision.,There was no in-service noise exposure linked to tinnitus or vertigo. The evidence did not establish that the conditions began during service or were related to service. Bilateral hearing loss requires further development of stressor verification and medical opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- COPD, tinnitus, vertigo, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 20, 2022
- Citation
- 22002822
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 22002822.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- 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).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
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