The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his chemical burn scars and laceration scar, finding that the evidence did not support an evaluation in excess of 10 percent. The claim for tinnitus was also denied as a matter of law due to the revised criteria for evaluating tinnitus.
The deciding factor: The new regulations prohibit separate compensable evaluations for tinnitus in each ear and do not allow for increased ratings beyond 10 percent under any circumstances.
- Claimed conditions
- second-degree chemical burn scars, laceration scar on the right fourth finger
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 16, 2006
- Citation
- 0607641
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his chemical burn scars and laceration scar, finding that the evidence did not support an evaluation in excess of 10 percent. The claim for tinnitus was also denied as a matter of law due to the revised criteria for evaluating tinnitus.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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