The veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations and an earlier effective date for service connection were denied. The RO found that the evidence did not support reopening his previously denied claim for tinnitus, as no new and material evidence was submitted.
The deciding factor: The veteran's previous claim for tinnitus had been denied in January 1999, and he did not submit a timely appeal or provide any new and material evidence to reopen the claim. The RO granted service connection for tinnitus effective from October 20, 2003, but assigned a maximum evaluation of 10 percent.
- Claimed conditions
- neck disorder, hearing loss, right ear, tinea pedis, onychomycosis, urticaria and tinea corpus, left shoulder rotator cuff tear with secondary outlet impingement syndrome, low back strain, left ethmoid sinusitis, headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- January 27, 2006
- Citation
- 0602355
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,467 · Granted: 18% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0602355.
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.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of records and will provide a supplemental statement of the case if necessary.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew all his appeals, including the one for an increased rating for low back strain.
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