The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to separate 10 percent disability ratings for bilateral tinnitus, finding that a single 10 percent rating was appropriate under Diagnostic Code 6260 due to recurrent tinnitus.
The deciding factor: The regulation at issue specified that recurrent tinnitus is evaluated as 10 percent disabling regardless of whether it is unilateral or bilateral. The omission of language distinguishing between unilateral and bilateral involvement from Diagnostic Code 6260 was intentional, indicating a single rating for the disability.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- November 19, 2004
- Citation
- 0430844
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 0430844.
What this means for you
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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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