Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2001

The Board has determined that there is no service-connected disability that caused or contributed to the veteran's death, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The veteran's claims for service connection for malaria and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need to obtain his service medical records from National Personnel Records Center (NPRC).

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, including acoustic trauma sustained during active duty. Therefore, both conditions have been granted service connection.

The Board denied service connection for weight loss and tinnitus as chronic disabilities resulting from an undiagnosed illness due to lack of objective indications of such conditions.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not causally related to service or his service-connected disabilities, and denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the February 18, 1971 rating decision that denied service connection for tinnitus.

The Board denied the veteran's request for an effective date earlier than February 26, 1998, for the grant of service connection for tinnitus. The decision states that the criteria for such a claim have not been met.

The Board has denied the appellant's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence does not warrant a higher rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board denied a request for an effective date prior to August 23, 1995, for the grant of service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus had its inception during active service and granted service connection for this condition. The issues of bilateral hearing loss, left ankle injury, and right elbow disability are still pending.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has found reasonable doubt in both the veteran's claims for service connection and a compensable rating for his service-connected residuals of pulmonary tuberculosis. The veteran is granted service connection for tinnitus, but the Board finds that reasonable doubt also arises as to whether he currently suffers from a chronic pulmonary disability secondary to his service-connected tuberculosis. For the neurological disability claim, reasonable doubt has arisen as to whether it is related to service.

The veteran is found to be precluded from performing all forms of substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, and the appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service connected disabilities is granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of in-service injury or noise exposure that could be linked to current conditions.

The veteran's service-connected conditions did not contribute substantially to his death. The appellant is therefore denied DIC benefits and the other claims.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting examinations to assess the veteran's service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to work.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for left supraorbital area laceration scar residuals and remanded the case for further development.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cervical spine disability was not incurred in service and is not related to his service-connected disabilities.,The veteran's multiple shell fragment wound scars have been evaluated as 10 percent disabling, which is the maximum schedular evaluation available under Diagnostic Code 7804.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including migraine headaches, a gynecological disorder, a psychiatric disorder, tinnitus with vertigo, rhinitis, sinusitis, a dermatological disorder defined as acne or eczema vulgaris, and fibromyalgia. The RO also denied an increased disability rating for service-connected joint pain and stiffness of the right hand, right wrist, and both knees, as due to an undiagnosed illness.

The Board finds that the veteran incurred tinnitus during his military service and grants service connection for this condition. The other claims are pending, including an increased rating for hearing loss, reopening of a claim for eye injuries, PTSD, and hepatitis C.