Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2006

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, effective October 30, 2002. The veteran's claim was reopened based on new evidence received after the initial denial of his claims.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for an increased evaluation for a right ring finger disability to the RO for further development. The veteran seeks higher evaluations for his tinnitus, stomatitis with missing teeth, and amputation of the right ring finger.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus and denied it on the merits, finding that there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a chronic condition. The current tinnitus is not related to military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a TDIU based on service-connected disabilities, finding that his combined rating did not meet the schedular requirements and that he was not unemployable due to these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was denied in previous decisions, and the Board found no evidence of a valid claim prior to October 22, 2001. The effective date remains at the date of receipt of the original claim.

The RO denied the veteran's claims for effective dates prior to October 12, 2001 for service connection of hearing loss and tinnitus.

The veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the surviving spouse is not entitled to dependency and indemnity compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 or 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The claims will be reviewed after additional development.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of current tinnitus disability or a link to active service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disability and tinnitus were denied. The right shoulder disability claim was not warranted for an initial compensable evaluation, and the hemorrhoids claim was also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his service, including any noise exposure during active duty. As a result, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, and denied increased evaluations for radiculopathy of the right and left legs. The veteran's disabilities are rated as 10 percent disabling bilaterally.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including providing notice under 38 C.F.R. § 3.159 and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current status of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability.

The VA determined that there is no medical evidence suggesting the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus originated in service or are otherwise causally related to his military service, including to acoustic trauma.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no current disability present.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus is attributable to his period of service, and thus service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The veteran's migraine headaches are service-connected, but his bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus were not found to be related to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased rating for tinea versicolor, service connection for PTSD and tinnitus. The decision also found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for arterial hypertension.