Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2005

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have tinnitus as a result of service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not manifest during service or within one year thereafter, and there is no medical evidence linking these conditions to service. Therefore, service connection for both conditions is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, residuals of bilateral ankle sprain, and hypertension. The veteran was not granted any new ratings or benefits.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are likely due to noise exposure during his military service, warranting service connection.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for the issues of hearing loss disability, tinnitus disability, asthma, congestive heart failure, and low back disability before a decision was made by the Board.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), right ear hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Board found that there was no evidence of current hearing loss meeting VA criteria for a disability under 38 C.F.R. § 3.385, nor did the veteran have tinnitus etiologically related to his service.

The veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus has been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a skin disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to military service.

The veteran has withdrawn his appeal regarding the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have PTSD, tinnitus, or hepatitis C as a result of his period of service. The evidence did not establish an in-service stressor for PTSD and there is no credible supporting evidence to link current symptoms to any in-service event.

The veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were granted, while his claim for service connection for hemorrhoids was denied. The decision is final as the veteran did not appeal the denial of service connection for varicose veins in October 1983.

The Board denied the appellant's requests to reopen his claims of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the new evidence submitted was not material.

The veteran's appeal for a separate compensable evaluation for tinnitus in each ear has been dismissed due to the death of the veteran.

The Board found that the veteran did not timely perfect an appeal of his increased disability rating for chronic lumbar strain, and denied his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to lack of evidence showing he was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment solely from his service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than February 26, 1999 for the grant of individual unemployability is denied. The earliest effective date allowed by law has been granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to notification requirements and the need for additional medical records. The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an initial increased rating for diabetes mellitus with diabetic retinopathy will be reconsidered after obtaining necessary information and evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an effective date prior to December 27, 2002, for service connection for tinnitus and for an effective date prior to October 16, 2002, for service connection for hearing loss.,There is no clear indication of a pending claim or application for these benefits before the dates mentioned.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to determine the presence and etiology of PTSD, hearing loss, tinnitus, and a right foot disability. The RO will also provide notice on what evidence is needed to substantiate his claim for an increased rating for his right foot disability.