Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2002

The Board has determined that the appellant's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus as there was no medical evidence of a current diagnosis of tinnitus.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected condition, and that VA treatment did not cause or worsen his multi-organ failure, acute blood loss due to liver disease and posterior pharyngeal bleeding. Therefore, the claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 was denied.

The veteran's PTSD with depression, tinnitus, and hip conditions have been rated based on their severity. The RO granted higher ratings for PTSD with depression and tinnitus but denied the requests for increased ratings for the hip conditions.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to exposure to artillery noise during service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection of hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no current evidence of these conditions meeting regulatory requirements.

The veteran's service-connected cervical spine disability is rated at 60 percent, the maximum available rating under Diagnostic Code 5293 for pronounced intervertebral disc syndrome. The other conditions are not granted as service connected.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are related to noise exposure during service, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are at least as likely as not due to noise exposure during military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus does not warrant a rating higher than the current 10 percent evaluation, as there is no evidence of marked interference with employment or frequent hospitalization due to his condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his hearing loss, tinnitus, and lung condition. The veteran was assigned a noncompensable rating for each of these conditions.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected heart disorder did not contribute to his death or accelerate it. The cause of death was determined to be esophageal cancer, which began due to chronic reflux issues related to his service-connected conditions and aggravated by medications for those conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a hole in his head, no current headaches as a result of service, and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service. However, there is no evidence of any pre-service or post-service conditions that can be linked to these disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for scheduling a 'Travel Board' hearing. The appeal is currently in process and no effective date or rating assigned has been determined yet.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date prior to March 23, 1998, for a 10 percent evaluation for tinnitus. The decision also found no clear and unmistakable error in not assigning a 10 percent evaluation prior to that date.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence does not warrant a higher rating based on current medical findings.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for Meniere's Disease and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that there was no evidence linking his Meniere's Disease to his service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a skin disability due to new evidence submitted since the last denial in May 1979. The claims are now considered on their merits.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not begin during or as a result of his service, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for fungus infection of the ears, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The claim for residuals of injuries sustained in a fall is still pending as the RO failed to provide an SOC.