The veteran's claim of entitlement to separate schedular 10 percent disability ratings for bilateral tinnitus was denied as the regulations pertaining to tinnitus do not allow for separate ratings based on unilateral or bilateral involvement.
The deciding factor: The regulation at issue specifies that recurrent tinnitus is evaluated as a single 10 percent rating regardless of whether it is perceived in one ear, both ears, or within the head. Other Diagnostic Codes pertaining to the auditory system specify whether the rating is to be assigned based on unilateral or bilateral involvement.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- August 11, 2004
- Citation
- 0422021
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 0422021.
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.
- 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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