Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2006

The veteran is seeking service connection for tinnitus, which he claims was caused by exposure to acoustic trauma during his time on the flight line. The Board has determined that further development is needed before a decision can be made.

The veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was denied as there is no evidence of a chronic condition during service and the earliest medical evidence of the claimed condition is dated in 2003, approximately 25 years after separation from service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of tinnitus, finding that no prior final decision existed to be reconsidered and thus denying the claim.

The Board is remanding the case due to the need for additional development and notification under 38 U.S.C.A. §§ 5103, 5103A, and 3.159.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted it. The Board also found that the veteran's tinnitus was incurred during active service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to noise exposure during his military service, warranting service connection for these conditions.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for tinnitus is denied as the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent has been assigned and upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher ratings for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and hemorrhoids. The veteran was already receiving a 10 percent rating for each condition.

The veteran's claim for TDIU was granted effective April 24, 2003. The Board found that the earliest date of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus is April 24, 2003, which is when the TDIU should have been granted.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral tinnitus is assigned a 10 percent rating, the maximum rating authorized under Diagnostic Code 6260 of VA's Rating Schedule. There is no legal basis for the assignment of a schedular evaluation in excess of 10 percent for bilateral tinnitus.

The Board denied the claim for a higher initial rating for bilateral tinnitus, to include a separate 10 percent rating for each ear, as there is no provision in the applicable rating schedule for more than a single 10 percent rating.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus with a 10% evaluation effective from November 9, 1998. The veteran claims an earlier effective date.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are not related to disease or injury during his active military service.

The veteran's service-connected tinnitus is already receiving the maximum rating of 10 percent, and no higher rating can be granted under current regulations.

The veteran's service-connected tinnitus is already receiving the maximum evaluation of 10 percent, which is the highest rating available under the applicable regulations. Therefore, his request for an increased evaluation to a higher percentage is denied.

The veteran's appeal for a higher rating for bilateral tinnitus was denied as there is no legal basis to award separate ratings for each ear under the applicable VA regulations.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for tinnitus is denied as the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent has been assigned under the applicable VA regulations.

The veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for his bilateral tinnitus is denied as the maximum disability rating of 10 percent has already been assigned.

The veteran's appeal for separate schedular ratings for tinnitus in each ear is denied as the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent has already been assigned.

The veteran's claim for separate compensable evaluations for each ear for his service-connected tinnitus is denied as the maximum schedular evaluation assignable for tinnitus has already been assigned.