Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2002

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the veteran's current conditions are related to noise exposure during his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and vision loss due to a lack of current evidence meeting VA criteria for these conditions.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his period of active military service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the veteran's pre-existing conditions did not worsen during service and there was no evidence of noise exposure in service.

The Board found no medical evidence linking the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus to his military service, thus denying his claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's prostatic condition, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are related to his military service. The benefit of doubt has been applied in favor of the veteran.

The veteran's claim for vocational rehabilitation training under Chapter 31, Title 38, United States Code was denied because he did not have a service-connected disability rated at least 20 percent disabling. The Boise Regional Office later granted service connection for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, but the veteran still does not meet the eligibility criteria as his combined rating is only 30 percent.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a respiratory disorder, skin rash, hair loss, otitis externa, tinnitus, inguinal lymph node hyperplasia, right carpal tunnel syndrome, and a psychiatric disorder. The veteran's claims were not well grounded.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left foot disability and bilateral ankle disability, as well as his claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The decision also noted that the veteran's tinnitus was rated at the maximum under the old criteria but no evidence showed it presented an exceptional disability picture.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus warrant an initial rating of 10 percent, as both conditions are evaluated under a direct service connection theory.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right ear hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of a nexus between his current conditions and his military service.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and a higher initial rating for tinnitus. The most severe level of hearing impairment recorded was Level II in the right ear and Level III in the left ear, which does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current tinnitus and his military service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral defective hearing and tinnitus due to the veteran's failure to report for a VA examination scheduled in conjunction with his reopened claim.

The veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were granted in a May 2002 rating decision.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus denying his claim for total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the left knee, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and arthritis of the hips and ankles due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that it was incurred due to noise exposure during his active duty.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of September 18, 1997 for a 10 percent rating for tinnitus. The evidence did not support an earlier effective date as the veteran's tinnitus was intermittent prior to September 18, 1998.