Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2002

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for residuals of a left leg injury, including scars, and tinnitus. The Board finds that these conditions are etiologically related to his period of active service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection and a compensable evaluation for tinnitus, finding that the earliest date of claim was March 20, 1970.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus of the left ear is service-connected, and his right ear hearing loss is rated at 10 percent.

The Board finds that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, specifically noise exposure during his time as a gunner in World War II. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated during service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus does not warrant a rating in excess of the currently assigned 10 percent, as it is rated at the maximum schedular evaluation.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of such conditions in service or following service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an annual clothing allowance, finding that there was no evidence showing his outergarments were irreparably damaged due to a service-connected condition or that he wore a prosthesis or orthopedic appliance that tended to wear out his clothing.

The Board has determined that Meniere's disease was initially manifested during active service and is therefore incurred in service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that it was not related to his military service.

The veteran is granted a total rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability effective from April 25, 1990. The claim of entitlement to a total rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability from August 22, 1983 should be referred to the Director, Compensation and Pension Service.

The veteran's tinnitus is rated at 10 percent effective May 8, 1998. The RO granted a compensable evaluation for his bilateral hearing loss as of the same date. Both conditions are evaluated under regular schedular criteria.

The Board denied the veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for his service connection and disability ratings for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for reactive airway disease, left leg sensory deficit of the saphenous nerve, tinnitus, chronic sinusitis, and left retropatellar pain syndrome. Service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome was denied.

The veteran's service-connected anxiety reaction, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for migraine headaches and service connection for tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The veteran has been diagnosed with a dysthymic and depressive disorder, which is considered service-connected. He also has tinnitus that is related to his military noise exposure. However, he does not have hearing loss or PTSD as claimed.

The veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and an examination. The VA will also review all claims, including implied claims for tinnitus and Meniere's Disease.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for bilateral defective hearing, thus denying the reopening of the claim.