Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2006

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating, as his audiometric results do not meet the criteria for any higher evaluation under VA's schedular guidelines.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and residuals of a back injury due to fall. The decision is based on the lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and dysthymic disorder. It also denied his requests for increased ratings for his right knee disorder and low back disorder, as well as a compensable rating for arthritis of the right hip.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss disability and tinnitus are not related to service, including any noise exposure or acoustic trauma during service. The preponderance of evidence is against the claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as his claim for an increased evaluation for PTSD. The VA medical opinions found no evidence to establish a nexus between the claimed conditions and military service.

The veteran's appeal for more than a 10 percent rating for tinnitus has been dismissed as he did not submit a Substantive Appeal. The Board does not have jurisdiction to decide this issue.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as his claim for a TDIU due to service-connected disability. The RO had previously denied these claims in February 1999, finding that there was no evidence of worsening of pre-existing conditions during service.

The Board has decided that additional development is needed, including obtaining missing service medical records and audiogram results. The veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus will be remanded to the RO.

The Board found that service connection is not warranted for a bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, or a left hand disorder as a result of cold injury due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and conducting VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities and their impact on employment.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, including exposure to noise during active duty. As a result, the claims for service connection have been denied.

The veteran's claims for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder and tinnitus, as well as his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, were all denied by the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for asbestosis and chronic bronchitis, bilateral hearing loss, dermatitis of the feet, and tinnitus. The claim for an increased evaluation for degenerative disc disease was not addressed in this decision.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on need for regular aid and attendance or at the housebound rate.

The Board has ordered the appellant to undergo VA examinations for tinnitus, esophageal reflux and dysmotility, and hypertension. The case is remanded due to failure to report for these examinations.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that new evidence does not establish a current disability or link to service.

The Board has granted a 50 percent rating for PTSD, finding that the veteran's symptoms match some of the criteria for this rating. The veteran's overall level of disability is assessed to be consistent with a 50 percent rating due to his PTSD symptoms including mood disturbances such as depression and irritability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral tinnitus and schizophrenia, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service. The claim for an increased rating for PTSD was also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active duty service, and therefore denied both claims for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient audiometric testing and the need for a VA examination to determine if the veteran currently suffers from bilateral hearing loss and/or tinnitus, and whether these conditions are related to his military service.