The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at the maximum allowable rating of 10 percent.,There is no evidence to support a finding that the Veteran has a current left shoulder disability or that any such disability began during service. The preponderance of the evidence is against this claim.,Similarly, there is no evidence to support a finding that the Veteran has a current right knee disability or that any such disability began during service. The preponderance of the evidence is against this claim.,The VA examiner found no objective evidence of a current thoracolumbar spine disability and concluded that any such disability was not related to service, including in-service lumbarization of the S1 vertebrae.,VA audiometric testing did not reveal left ear hearing loss for VA purposes. Right ear hearing loss was noted on both sets of audiometer findings but only during the first set.,Right ear hearing loss was noted on both sets of audiometer findings, with a significant difference in results between the two sets.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at the maximum allowable rating of 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 6260. There is no legal basis to award a higher schedular evaluation.,There is no evidence to support a finding that the Veteran has a current left shoulder disability or that any such disability began during service. The preponderance of the evidence is against this claim.,Similarly, there is no evidence to support a finding that the Veteran has a current right knee disability or that any such disability began during service. The preponderance of the evidence is against this claim.,The VA examiner found no objective evidence of a current thoracolumbar spine disability and concluded that any such disability was not related to service, including in-service lumbarization of the S1 vertebrae.,VA audiometric testing did not reveal left ear hearing loss for VA purposes. Right ear hearing loss was noted on both sets of audiometer findings but only during the first set.,Right ear hearing loss was noted on both sets of audiometer findings, with a significant difference in results between the two sets.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, left shoulder disability, right knee disability, thoracolumbar spine disability, left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19183748
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 19183748.
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 Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- 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.
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