The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran. The other claims were remanded for further development.

The deciding factor: The evidence was at least in approximate balance, and the benefit-of-the-doubt rule applied to grant service connection for tinnitus.

Claimed conditions

tinnitus, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), cervical strain with degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease other than intervertebral disc syndrome (DDD) (hereinafter, 'cervical spine disability'), degenerative disc disease lumbar spine with herniated disc (claimed as herniated DDD secondary to DDD lumbar spine) (hereinafter, 'lumbar spine disability'), left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left shoulder strain with impingement syndrome (hereinafter, 'left shoulder disability'), residual scar anterior left shoulder, residual scar posterior left shoulder, residual scar medial left shoulder

How they argued it

Direct service connection

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

100%

Decision date

December 8, 2025

Citation

A25105164

Want to see how appeals like this one tend to go? Appeals like mine