The veteran's claims for increased ratings and a compensable rating for his hearing loss, as well as an earlier effective date for the grants of service connection for tinnitus and right ear hearing loss, are denied.
The deciding factor: The veteran is already receiving the highest schedular disability rating for tinnitus (10%) and has not presented a claim for entitlement to greater compensation on an extra-schedular basis. The veteran's right ear hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA regulations. The effective date for the grants of service connection is set at the date the veteran filed his initial claim, as required by law.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, right ear hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- May 11, 2000
- Citation
- 0012532
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 0012532.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
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).
- 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.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
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