The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and assigned a separate 10 percent rating from November 27, 2023, for the left shoulder painful scar. The claims for an increased rating for the left shoulder disability and service connection for bilateral hearing loss were denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence was at least in approximate balance as to whether the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his in-service noise exposure, but there was no current diagnosis of a hearing loss disability for VA purposes. The Board considered the impact of pain on range of motion and found it did not warrant higher ratings.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, left shoulder disability (residuals of left clavicle fracture and surgical repair), left shoulder scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 28, 2025
- Citation
- A25093013
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 133 · Granted: 37% (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 A25093013.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- 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.
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