Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2006

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for gunshot wounds to his left forearm and leg, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board is remanding the case for further development and consideration of various issues, including service connection claims and disability rating determinations.

The Board has remanded the claims due to outstanding medical records and the need for additional examinations.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for service-connected tinnitus is denied as the maximum schedular rating of 10% is already assigned.

The veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeals for the issues of service connection for arrhythmia secondary to diabetes mellitus, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for bilateral tinnitus is denied as he is already receiving the maximum disability rating available under the applicable rating criteria.

The veteran's appeal for a separate compensable rating for each ear with regard to his service-connected tinnitus disability was denied as there is no legal basis for the assignment of scheduler rating in excess of 10 percent for the veteran's tinnitus, to include a separate 10 percent rating for each ear.

The veteran's service-connected tinnitus is currently rated at 10 percent, the maximum rating available under Diagnostic Code 6260. The Board finds no legal basis for a higher rating and denies the claim.

The veteran's service-connected tinnitus is already assigned the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent, which covers both ears. Therefore, separate ratings for each ear are denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The veteran withdrew their appeal before the Board could make a decision, thus the case is dismissed.

The veteran's service-connected tinnitus is currently rated at 10 percent, the maximum rating available under Diagnostic Code 6260. The appeal for a higher evaluation has been denied as there is no legal basis to award separate schedular evaluations for bilateral tinnitus.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence linking his current diagnosis to his active military service.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the December 1988 rating decision assigning a single 10% rating for tinnitus, as the correct facts were known at that time and the law was correctly applied. The veteran's claim of entitlement to separate ratings for tinnitus perceived in each ear is denied as a matter of law.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are not related to service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, an increased rating for traumatic arthritis of the left knee, and a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss. The effective date for the grant of service connection for traumatic arthritis of the left knee was set at February 12, 2000.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluation, a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, and special monthly compensation for aid and attendance/housebound status.,The veteran's service-connected conditions include left ankle fracture, deep vein thrombosis of the left leg, hypertension, tinnitus, abdominal aortic aneurysm (right iliac aneurysm, left iliac aneurysm), and bilateral hearing loss. The maximum schedular evaluation for his left ankle fracture is 20 percent.,The veteran's combined rating from all service-connected disabilities is 40 percent, which does not meet the percentage requirements for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute substantially to his death from COPD. The Board concluded that there was no evidence linking any of the veteran's service-connected conditions to his post-service dementia, which contributed to his death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral tinnitus and an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no causal link between his current disabilities and his military service.

The veteran's claim for separate 10 percent evaluations for each ear for bilateral tinnitus is denied as the maximum schedular evaluation available under all applicable VA regulations has already been assigned.