The Board has determined that the August 1993 rating decision denying service connection for tinnitus was clearly and unmistakably erroneous, and therefore grants the Veteran's claim. The effective date of award is set to January 12, 1993, which is when the initial claim for service connection was received by the Board.
The deciding factor: The August 1993 rating decision incorrectly denied service connection for tinnitus based on a finding that there was no evidence of tinnitus in the service treatment records. However, the July 1967 service treatment record explicitly documented an episode of tinnitus requiring additional medical treatment. The Board found this to be CUE because the correct facts (the existence of tinnitus during service) were not considered by the RO at that time.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- December 23, 2015
- Citation
- 1553522
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 1553522.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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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