The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as zero percent disabling, which is the maximum rating available under VA regulations.,The Veteran's tinnitus has been assigned a single 10 percent rating since September 2014 and there is no legal basis for an increased rating.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s hearing loss disability does not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable evaluation under any of the available diagnostic codes. The evidence shows that his bilateral hearing acuity has been consistently at Level I, which corresponds to zero percent disability.,The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated as 10 percent disabling and there is no legal basis for an increased rating since it is already at its maximum schedular evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Bilateral Shoulder Disability, Bilateral Foot Disability, Bilateral Arm Disability, Bilateral Eye Disability, Hypertension, Erectile Dysfunction, Sleep Disorder (to include Sleep Apnea), Dizziness, Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (to include Depression), Missing Teeth
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 6, 2019
- Citation
- 19143891
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,902 · Granted: 11% (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 19143891.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
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