Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2003

The Board has determined that the veteran's timely substantive appeal was filed with respect to his August 1998 RO rating decision, which denied service connection for a right shoulder condition, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The case is now being returned to the RO for further development of the issues.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, warranting service connection. The left pterygium is not considered a condition incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and providing a VA examination to determine the current nature and extent of the veteran's service-connected tinnitus. The RO should consider the May 2003 opinion of the VA General Counsel regarding the rating criteria for tinnitus.

The veteran's PTSD is productive of definite social and industrial impairment, warranting a 30 percent rating.

The Board has determined that the effective date for the grant of service connection for tinnitus with vertigo secondary to ear surgery should be May 19, 1995.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for hearing loss due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete information regarding the veteran's service stressors and exposure to noise. The claims for PTSD, hearing loss, and tinnitus are also being reviewed.

The Board denied the veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for tinnitus, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The veteran's tinnitus is rated at a 10 percent evaluation effective June 10, 2003. The RO has not yet considered the other issues and ratings.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, ear infections and a perforated eardrum, ulcers, and hepatitis. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for otitis media/externa, bilateral, status postoperative mastoidectomy with tinnitus and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board found that the veteran does not currently have a bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes and denied his claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

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

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

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus began during his military service and is granting service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for tinnitus and denied an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including a VA Social and Industrial Survey interview and comprehensive examination of the veteran's service-connected disabilities' impact on his employability.

The Board found that the appellant currently has tinnitus that began during active service and granted service connection for this condition. The claims of entitlement to service connection for peptic ulcer disease, residuals of a head tumor, and anxiety were denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's sinusitis and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service, and thus denied these claims.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, both awarded on May 12, 2000.