Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2007

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a continuity of symptoms since service.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo, fracture of the right wrist with secondary neuropathy, residuals of a fractured left mandible and maxilla with temporomandibular joint dysfunction, and facial scars, do not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings. The combined rating is 80 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, concluding that there is no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the veteran's claims for service connection, including seeking additional service medical records and conducting VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to new evidence and changes in procedural requirements. The veteran's claims for hearing loss, tinnitus, and left fibula fracture residuals will be reconsidered based on this new information.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and a compensable disability rating for residuals of a shrapnel wound to the left chest. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of tinnitus (claimed as ringing in ears). The Board has dismissed the appeal.

The Board found that the appellant's current severe bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by his period of active military service, including his ACDUTRA in 1963.

The Board has granted a 100 percent disability rating for the veteran's service-connected PTSD, effective back to the date of service connection. The claim for an increased disability rating for tinnitus is denied as there is no legal basis for assigning a schedular evaluation in excess of 10 percent.

The veteran's claims for higher ratings for bilateral tinnitus, hearing loss, and PTSD are denied as the evidence does not support a schedular evaluation in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus or a compensable rating for hearing loss. The criteria for a 70 percent rating for PTSD prior to June 12, 2004, and an effective date earlier than June 12, 2004, are met.

The veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus were denied, while his claim for an increased evaluation of PTSD was granted at a 10% rating.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic skin rash in service and denied the claim. For other conditions, additional development is needed to determine if they are related to service.

The veteran's claims for a compensable rating for his left elbow scars, reopening of PTSD and hearing loss with tinnitus service connection claims were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for PTSD, whether new and material evidence has been presented to reopen his right knee disability claim, and service connection for tinnitus. The denial was based on insufficient evidence showing that the conditions were related to military service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for scarred eardrums, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral tinnitus have been denied as there is no legal basis to assign higher disability ratings under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, hypertension, and residuals of a head injury as there is no evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated during active duty.

The veteran's tinnitus is service-connected and rated at 20 percent since June 10, 1999. The Board found no legal basis for a separate rating prior to that date.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for liver disability and bilateral ear infections resulting in tinnitus due to a lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The veteran's request for a videohearing before the Board has been rescheduled due to his illness. The case is being remanded for this purpose.

The veteran's service-connected psychosis is rated at 50%. The Board denied claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, as well as entitlement to TDIU due to the lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The veteran's current disabilities do not meet the criteria for a total rating based on individual unemployability.