Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2004

The Board found that there is no evidence to support the appellant's claim of a back injury during active military service, and denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied both the reopening of the claim and the merits of the tinnitus claim. The veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral hearing loss is not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus did not occur in service or are not related to any in-service event. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus, finding that the law does not allow separate evaluations for each ear and that there is no legal basis to award such a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus and hearing loss are not related to his military service, as evidenced by the absence of any in-service complaints or treatment for these conditions. The VA audiologist concluded that it is less likely than not that either condition was incurred during service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a separate evaluation for tinnitus in each ear, finding that only a single 10 percent rating is authorized under current regulations.

The Board has 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 Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, and more likely than not due to occupational noise exposure post-service. As a result, the claims for service connection were denied.

The veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating for this condition. The claim for an increased rating is denied.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, as his unemployment is attributed to age and other nonservice-connected conditions.

The Board has decided that the veteran's tinnitus was not incurred or aggravated during his active military service.

The Board has received notification of the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal, and therefore dismisses the case.

The Board has determined that the veteran is currently receiving the maximum schedular evaluation for tinnitus, and thus a separate rating for each ear is not warranted.

The veteran's claim for separate 10 percent ratings for bilateral tinnitus is denied as such ratings are not allowed under the applicable regulations.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for separate 10 percent ratings for tinnitus in each ear, finding that only a single evaluation is assignable for bilateral tinnitus.

The Board has received notification from the appellant that they wish to withdraw their appeal, leading to its dismissal.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus. The left ear hearing loss claim was previously denied in August 1993, but new evidence submitted since then is not considered material to reopen this claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is likely due to noise exposure during military service. The issues of service connection for headaches and hearing loss are remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus was incurred in service and granted service connection for this condition.