The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and an increased rating for his shrapnel injury to the left shoulder, finding no evidence of current disability or a link between in-service exposure and present symptoms.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no evidence of tinnitus and concluded that the veteran's current hearing sensitivity was within normal limits. For the shrapnel injury, the Board noted that while the veteran had muscle weakness, there was no medical diagnosis linking this to service.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, shrapnel injury to left shoulder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- December 18, 2007
- Citation
- 0739777
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 0739777.
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.
- 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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