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Denied

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was denied in November 1995, and new evidence received since then does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim. The Veteran's initial disability ratings for otitis media of the left ear (rated at 10%) and bilateral hearing loss with post-status residual tympanic membrane perforation remain unchanged.

The deciding factor: The submitted evidence is insufficient to trigger VA's duty to assist, as it does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim of service connection for tinnitus.

Claimed conditions
otitis media, tympanic membrane perforation
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
10%
Decision date
June 5, 2015
Citation
1523956

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 1523956.

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