Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2001

The Board has dismissed the veteran's appeals for a compensable disability rating for tinnitus and an increased disability rating for residuals of a left knee injury with a history of subluxation due to untimely filing of substantive appeals.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss from June 10, 1999 was granted and assigned a 20 percent rating. The effective date of this decision is June 10, 2001. Service connection for tinnitus was also granted with an effective date of July 10, 2000.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the veteran failing to file a timely Substantive Appeal regarding the August 1994 rating determination, and thus did not address the issues of effective dates for service connection.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus due to new and material evidence. The veteran's exposure to acoustic trauma during service is established, linking his current hearing loss and tinnitus to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss. The decision also addressed a claim for increased ratings for knee conditions but did not reach the merits of these issues.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen his claim for right ear hearing loss, and that tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran sustained noise exposure during service, which is considered to be an injury warranting service connection. The evidence supports a finding of left ear hearing loss and tinnitus being related to in-service noise exposure. Therefore, the claims for service connection for these conditions are granted.

The veteran's service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is granted. The VA has determined that his PTSD warrants a 30 percent rating, which is the maximum allowed under current criteria.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, and increased the rating for left brachial plexus neuropathy to 30 percent. The claim for an increased rating for bilateral varicose veins remains denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional VA treatment records and will review the claim again after these records are obtained.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current tinnitus and his military service.

The veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus were both found to be incurred during his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus is related to service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for subclavian steal syndrome and assigned a 10 percent rating, effective October 5, 2000. The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date is denied as there was no prior claim of entitlement to VA benefits pertaining to the disorder. The claim for a higher initial rating is also denied.

The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disorder due to Agent Orange exposure. The decision denied initial compensable disability ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss in the right ear, tinnitus, PTSD, anxiety disorder, and a chronic disorder characterized by multiple joint pain, arthralgia, left leg limp, and left leg cramps secondary to undiagnosed illness. The appeals were not about service connection at all.

The VA has granted increased ratings for anxiety with depression, sinusitis with rhinitis, and tinnitus. The appellant's left ear sensorineural hearing loss, hemorrhoids, residuals of a left radius fracture, residuals of a right carponavicular bone fracture, and scars on the left cheek and lower lip are all rated at their maximum possible levels.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected disabilities were denied. His bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation, while other conditions are rated as noncompensably disabling.