Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2007

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are not related to service, as there is no evidence of such conditions during or immediately after service. The VA examiner opined that it is less likely than not that current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran did not incur or have any service-connected burns to the right hand, and there is insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between his current tinnitus and military noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the veteran's case for a VA examination to determine if his tinnitus is related to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability. The veteran also appealed for an initial compensable evaluation for his bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus is a direct result of noise exposure during service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the veteran's current conditions are related to his active duty military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his period of service from 1948 to 1952, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a foot and ankle disability characterized as pes planus, bilateral knee disability characterized as chondromalacia, hypertension, and tinnitus. The evidence received since the February 1975 Board decision was not considered sufficient to reopen any of these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for chloracne, secondary to inservice exposure to herbicide agents (Agent Orange). The veteran's other skin conditions are not shown during service or for over twenty years thereafter and are not linked to his military service. Service connection is denied for tinnitus and the low back disorder and hearing loss issues.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for tinnitus, to include separate evaluations for each ear, is denied as the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent has been assigned.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral tinnitus is currently rated at 10 percent, the maximum rating authorized under Diagnostic Code 6260. There is no legal basis for an increased disability rating.

The veteran's service-connected tinnitus is already assigned the maximum rating of 10 percent, and no additional ratings are granted.

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

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of tinnitus during or within one year after separation from service and concluding that any current tinnitus is not related to military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current diagnoses of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss or tinnitus, and thus cannot establish service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not begin during service, were not first manifest within one year of separation from service, and are not related to his military service. As a result, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of hearing loss during or within one year after his military service. The VA examiner concluded that the current hearing loss is more likely due to occupational noise exposure rather than military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current hearing loss or tinnitus that is causally related to his military service and thus denied both claims for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to service. The claim for tinnitus was granted but with a maximum rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus are denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and active military service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to incomplete records, including missing Reserve service medical records. The Board will attempt to obtain these records and schedule the veteran for an audiological examination to determine if his current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service.