Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2005

The Board denied the veteran's request for a waiver of overpayment, finding that recovery was not against equity and good conscience.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and a noncompensable rating for the left ankle disability, finding that both conditions are related to military service.

The Board dismissed the appeal because no timely Notice of Disagreement was filed regarding the effective date for service-connected tinnitus.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current conditions and active service.

The veteran's claim for an effective date prior to April 16, 2001, for the award of service connection and a compensable rating for tinnitus is denied as there was no unadjudicated claim filed before that date.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left knee arthritis, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus. The appeals for reopening of claims for a bilateral foot disability and status post parotidectomy were also denied.

The Board has determined that further development is needed before the claim can be adjudicated on its merits. The case will be remanded for additional evidence and possible VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the veteran was exposed to acoustic trauma in service and currently has these conditions.

The veteran's Môniére's disease and left ear tinnitus were not found to be related to service. Service connection for the inguinal hernia was granted, but an initial rating in excess of 10 percent is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current hearing loss, tinnitus, and right knee condition are related to his active service.

The veteran's appeal for an increased rating for tinnitus has been dismissed due to his death.

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus in service, and concluded that the current conditions are not related to military service.,Hypertension was first noted many years after service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a hearing loss disability for VA purposes and her tinnitus is not service-connected. The other conditions listed in the issues section are either not supported by evidence or were resolved prior to separation from service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and otitis media with tinnitus, vertigo, and cholesteatoma of the left ear were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a compensable rating for the hearing loss disability or any increase in the current 30 percent evaluation for the otitis media.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or related to service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left and right knee arthritis, and anxiety reaction, are found to be so severe that they prevent the veteran from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The veteran's appeal for separate 10 percent ratings for bilateral tinnitus has been dismissed due to the death of the veteran.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus is service-connected. For his left and right ear hearing loss, the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions are secondary to malaria or aggravated by noise exposure during service.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability and tinnitus. The evidence shows that the veteran experienced acoustic trauma during his Gulf War service, which is considered combat exposure under VA regulations. As such, the claim for tinnitus is granted based on in-service noise exposure. The claim for a back disability remains pending as it was not established by direct service connection.

The veteran's appeal for a higher rating for bilateral tinnitus has been dismissed due to his death.