The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability under VA criteria.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted, with the condition being presumed to have started during active duty.,An initial rating in excess of 40 percent for fibromyalgia is denied. The Veteran is already receiving the maximum schedular rating available for this condition.,The effective date for TDIU prior to July 7, 2017 remains pending and will be remanded.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of a current bilateral hearing loss disability under VA criteria. The Veteran's claim cannot meet the threshold requirement as there is no current disability.,The Veteran reported in-service onset of tinnitus, which was not addressed by service treatment records. The Board found her lay testimony regarding in-service onset to be highly probative.,The Veteran is already receiving the maximum schedular rating for fibromyalgia (40 percent). No higher rating can be granted as there are no additional symptoms or manifestations that would warrant a higher evaluation under Diagnostic Code 5025.,There is conflicting employment history provided by the Veteran. The claimant should provide full up-to-date details regarding their occupational history to include any contract work with accompanying income and hours worked.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 22, 2022
- Citation
- 22054053
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 22054053.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
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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