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
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