The Board has granted the Veteran's service connection claim for tinnitus, finding that new and material evidence was submitted to reopen his previously denied claim. The Veteran is now entitled to a disability rating for this condition.,However, the Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for bilateral deafness remains denied as there is no evidence showing that the current 30 percent rating is inadequate.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's tinnitus was found to be related to his service due to noise exposure. However, the Board determined that a higher rating of more than 30 percent for bilateral deafness is not warranted based on the evidence provided.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, bilateral deafness
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- April 6, 2017
- Citation
- 1710935
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 1710935.
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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