Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2004

The VA has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, dizziness, shortness of breath, a spinal disorder, and spots on the liver. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or exposure to nerve gas.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have tinnitus related to his military service.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the denial of service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence did not confirm the veteran's reported stressor.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for tinnitus, finding that a maximum 10 percent disability rating is the highest level possible under VA regulations.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current tinnitus is related to his active military service, granting service connection for this condition. Bilateral hearing loss was not granted as there is no evidence of a compensable disability within one year after discharge from service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of in-service noise exposure or acoustic trauma that could link these conditions to the veteran's military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The VA has denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected tinnitus, finding that a single 10 percent evaluation is appropriate under current Diagnostic Code 6260.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for residuals of a perforated left eardrum and defective hearing were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for separate compensable evaluations for tinnitus in each ear, finding that only a single 10 percent evaluation is assignable under current and prior VA regulations.

The Board has ordered the case to be remanded for further development of records and verification of service dates. The claims for hearing loss and tinnitus will be reconsidered after these actions.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus due to outstanding VA medical records and further examination by an otolaryngologist.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, warranting service connection for these conditions. Headaches were also found to be incurred in service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for bilateral tinnitus and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the criteria for these ratings were not met.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, hemorrhagic fever, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for any of these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for separate ratings of 10 percent for each ear for service-connected tinnitus. The veteran's claim for service connection of atrial fibrillation, status post failed cardioversion is pending and will be reconsidered by the RO.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service and grants the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran did not timely file a Substantive Appeal regarding whether new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen his claims of service connection for tinnitus and hearing loss. As a result, these issues are dismissed.