The Board denied the veteran's claims for separate ratings for tinnitus and service connection for loss of balance, finding that he was already receiving the maximum disability rating available for tinnitus under applicable regulations.
The deciding factor: The veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected tinnitus is based on interpretation of the regulations pertaining to the assignment of disability ratings for tinnitus. The Board found that the version of Diagnostic Code 6260 in effect prior to June 2003 precludes an evaluation in excess of a single 10-percent rating.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, loss of balance
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 28, 2006
- Citation
- 0626654
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,454 · Granted: 23% (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 0626654.
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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