The appellant's service-connected bilateral tinnitus is assigned a maximum single 10 percent rating, and there is no legal basis for an evaluation in excess of this.
The deciding factor: VA's interpretation of Diagnostic Code 6260 precludes the assignment of a schedular evaluation in excess of a single 10 percent for tinnitus, whether perceived as unilateral or bilateral.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral recurrent tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- July 18, 2006
- Citation
- 0620865
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 0620865.
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 granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral recurrent tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service. Service connection was denied for right ankle disability including osteoarthritis due to a clear and unmistakable error in attributing an injury to the left ankle.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral recurrent tinnitus as the evidence does not support a finding of in-service noise exposure or continuity of symptoms.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral recurrent tinnitus, finding that the current conditions did not begin in service or are otherwise related to noise exposure during active duty.
- Denied
The veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral recurrent tinnitus was denied as the maximum schedular evaluation has been assigned.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.