The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral tinnitus is denied.,The claim to reopen the service connection for spina bifida and lumbarization of S1 remains pending. The issues of whether service connection is warranted for sleep issues, collagenous colitis or an acquired psychiatric disorder are also pending.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical spine disability, right upper extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance remain pending. The earlier effective date claim is also pending.,The Veteran's tinnitus rating remains at 10 percent, as there is no legal basis to assign a higher rating. An effective date prior to March 29, 2017, for the award of service connection for tinnitus is denied.,,
The deciding factor: There is no legal basis for an increase in the rating for bilateral tinnitus as it has already been assigned the maximum schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 6260.,The claim to reopen the service connection for spina bifida and lumbarization of S1 remains pending. The issues of whether service connection is warranted for sleep issues, collagenous colitis or an acquired psychiatric disorder are also pending.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical spine disability, right upper extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance remain pending. The earlier effective date claim is also pending.,There is no legal basis to assign a higher rating for bilateral tinnitus as it has already been assigned the maximum schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 6260.,,
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, spina bifida and lumbarization of S1, collagenous colitis, an acquired psychiatric disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19136616
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,569 · Granted: 26% (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 19136616.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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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