Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2002

The Board has granted the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, effective July 17, 1990, and August 14, 1997, respectively. The effective dates requested by the veteran are denied.

The veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to service, specifically the use of antimalarial medication and exposure to noise during active duty service. Service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Board denied service connection for several conditions, finding that the appellant's period of active duty was discharged under dishonorable conditions due to willful and persistent misconduct. The Board also found that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by service.

The veteran has withdrawn his appeal for the denial of service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder, tinnitus, right lower extremity nerve damage, and back injury residuals.

The veteran's service-connected PTSD and tinnitus render him unable to secure or maintain gainful employment, meeting the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at the Mollen Clinic during November 2000 is denied as there was no emergent condition warranting VA treatment and VA facilities were not feasibly available.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of tinnitus, finding no clear and unmistakable error in the April 1946 rating decision that did not consider tinnitus as a condition. The criteria for an earlier effective date were also not met.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of current disabilities or a link to service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for a compensable evaluation for his bilateral hearing loss and the propriety of an initial 10 percent rating for his tinnitus.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a sleep disorder, finding no current evidence of these conditions. The bowel disorder and tinnitus were granted as service-connected.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus effective from July 8, 1998. The veteran's current evaluation is 20 percent.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral tinnitus and residuals of right ankle fracture as there is no competent evidence of current diagnoses.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment, as he has other unrelated physical ailments that have prevented him from working.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of PTSD and tinnitus, finding that no prior claim was made before November 21, 1994.

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.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date prior to March 28, 2001 for grants of service connection for right shoulder disability, hearing loss, left ear, and tinnitus. The decision is based on the statutory provision that requires VA to assign an effective date no earlier than the day following a veteran's discharge or release from active service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the veteran's conditions are related to noise exposure during service.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is linked to his current tinnitus, and the Board has granted service connection for tinnitus.

The Board finds that the veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are related to exposure to acoustic trauma during service, and grants service connection for these conditions.