Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2000

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of injury to the right arm, hypertension, depression, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and residuals of a back injury as they are not well-grounded.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and assigned a 50 percent evaluation. Service connection for coronary artery disease is granted on a secondary basis due to the veteran's PTSD, while service connection for tinnitus is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing disability is due to disease or injury incurred in service, while his claim for tinnitus was denied as there is no competent evidence showing a current disability.

The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied. The RO found no evidence linking the current tinnitus to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability, and thus denied this claim as well. His claim for a higher evaluation for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability is also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection are not well-grounded and have therefore been denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The veteran engaged in combat with the enemy during his military service, experienced changes in hearing during service, and provided credible testimony regarding exposure to noise during service. A private physician opined that the veteran's moderate to severe neurosensory hearing loss is likely as not due to his combat and military service noise exposure. Therefore, the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss with tinnitus is granted.

The veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been granted. An effective date of July 29, 1993, has been assigned for the award of a 100% rating for PTSD.

The Board has determined that the veteran's residuals of a cerebral thrombosis, identified as tinnitus, and spleen disorder (enlarged spleen) are both secondary to his service-connected polycythemia vera. The claims for these conditions have been granted.

The veteran's nonservice-connected conditions do not meet the criteria for a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, tinnitus, and dizziness are not well-grounded. The evidence does not support a finding of current disabilities or a link between any claimed conditions and service.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing gainful employment.

The veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was received on August 19, 1998. The effective date of the grants of service connection is set at August 19, 1998.

The Board has determined that the claims of tinnitus, a condition manifested by dizziness and vertigo, and hearing loss are not well grounded. The claim for service connection for hearing loss is reopened due to new evidence submitted since the last denial in 1983.

The veteran's depression is rated at 100 percent, and his tinnitus is rated at 10 percent. The effective date for service connection of tinnitus is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for tinnitus and right ear hearing loss are denied as there is no evidence to support an evaluation in excess of 10 percent under either the previous or amended rating criteria.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not well-grounded because there is no competent medical evidence of current disabilities.

The veteran's increased hearing loss rating was granted with an effective date of May 5, 1993. His claims for service connection for left ankle and hip conditions were not supported by the evidence presented. Service connection for his back condition was established.

The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus and his service, thus denying the claims as not well-grounded.

The Board denied an effective date earlier than March 24, 1997 for service connection of tinnitus due to the lack of a formal claim prior to that date.

The veteran's tinnitus is granted as secondary to his service-connected hearing loss. The ratings for Dupuytren's contractures of the left and right hands are maintained at 30 percent each, with no change in rating assigned for arthritis involving the right knee.