Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2006

The VA Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding no current diagnosis of tinnitus in the medical records.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus was incurred in service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and residuals of cold injury, to include arthritis of hands, legs, and feet. The evidence did not establish a direct link between these conditions and his military service.

The veteran's service-connected tinnitus is properly evaluated as 10 percent disabling.

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

The veteran's service-connected bilateral tinnitus is currently rated at the maximum of 10 percent, and there is no legal basis for a higher rating.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral tinnitus is currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling, which is the maximum rating authorized under Diagnostic Code 6260. There is no legal basis for an increased evaluation.

The veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus, to include based on assignment of a separate rating for each ear, is denied under both the old and new versions of the regulation.

The veteran's claim for a separate 10 percent rating for each ear for service-connected bilateral tinnitus is denied as there is no legal entitlement to such ratings.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral tinnitus is already rated at the maximum allowed under the applicable rating criteria, and thus no higher rating can be granted.

The veteran's service-connected tinnitus is properly evaluated as 10 percent disabling.

The veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than June 10, 1999 for the grant of a separate 10 percent evaluation for tinnitus is denied as the change in rating criteria occurred on that date and he was already entitled to a 30 percent disability rating prior to then.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found no basis for a higher rating or to reopen the claim of service connection.

The veteran's service-connected tinnitus is assigned the maximum schedular rating available, and a higher initial rating is denied.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection and increased evaluations, finding no current disability or evidence of a disease incurred in service. The tinnitus claim was also denied as there is only one rating available under VA regulations.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for tinnitus, hearing loss, and post-traumatic headaches have been denied as the RO has already assigned the maximum disability rating allowed under applicable regulations.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for trench foot/residuals of cold injuries to the feet and hepatitis B.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD, hearing loss, or tinnitus related to his period of service.,There is insufficient evidence to establish service connection for these conditions.

The veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease may have caused or aggravated his 1988 fall and subsequent skull fracture, which resulted in current tinnitus and right ear hearing loss. The Board is remanding the case for a VA examination to determine if these conditions are related to his service-connected condition.