Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2001

The veteran's right ankle disability is rated at 40 percent, and the claim for increased evaluation of his right ankle fusion with traumatic arthritis is granted. The claims for service connection for tinnitus, a back disorder, and a disorder of the knees are also granted as secondary to his right ankle disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral defective hearing and tinnitus are not related to his active service, as there is no evidence of such conditions during or within one year after service. The appeal for service connection is denied.

The veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to service exposure, while the liver disorder is not considered secondary to his seizure disorder.

The VA Regional Office denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of evidence in service records. The decision is being remanded as there has been a significant change in the law regarding the duty to assist veterans.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him in need of the regular aid and attendance of another person, as he can perform all self-care independently except for some right hand pain.

The veteran is denied a higher evaluation for his service-connected hearing loss. The effective date for the grant of service connection for left ear hearing loss is set at November 30, 1973.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for extraschedular evaluations for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence did not show marked interference with employment or frequent periods of hospitalization due to these conditions.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for increased ratings for tinnitus and right ear hearing loss, finding that the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent has been assigned.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus is due to in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition.

The veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The effective date of service connection for tinnitus with an assigned 10 percent evaluation was granted on March 1, 1998.,The November 2, 1962 rating decision did not address the issue of service connection for tinnitus and is not considered to contain clear and unmistakable error (CUE).

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for right ear hearing loss, otitis media, and tinnitus were denied. The effective date for the grant of service connection was set at September 27, 1996.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the nature and extent of the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as whether these conditions are related to service. The case is being remanded for this purpose.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and clarifying opinions from healthcare providers.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence did not warrant a rating higher than the assigned noncompensable evaluations.