Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2007

The Board has determined that the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, and thus denied both claims.

The veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for tinnitus is denied as the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent has been assigned and upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are related to his inservice noise exposure, and thus grants service connection for both conditions.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further examination and analysis to determine if his service-connected disabilities alone are sufficient to render him unemployable.

The Board denied entitlement to higher initial ratings for left ear hearing loss and service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus. The veteran's left ear hearing loss was found not at a level of severity warranting a compensable schedular evaluation, while the issues of right ear hearing loss and tinnitus were both denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for chronic right hip disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis or in-service occurrence.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and residuals of a dislocated left long (middle) finger have been granted. The effective date is not specified.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disorder and granted service connection based on evidence showing that his current diagnosis is related to military service. The issue of tinnitus was remanded due to insufficient medical examination.

The veteran's tinnitus is already rated at the maximum allowed by law, so he cannot receive a separate rating for each ear.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for an initial disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected tinnitus, finding that a single 10 percent evaluation is the maximum available under applicable regulations.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim of service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is related to his in-service noise exposure and his already service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss was incurred during service due to acoustic trauma, but denied service connection for tinnitus as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis or in-service occurrence.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of a left tympanic membrane perforation, tinnitus, and arthritis of the left knee. The veteran is now entitled to a separate 10 percent rating for his arthritis of the left knee.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and asthma, finding that the veteran's current conditions are reasonably attributable to in-service experiences and/or other service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in relative equipoise with regard to whether the veteran has current hearing loss and tinnitus as a result of his active duty service. Therefore, service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus is granted.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence linking these conditions to service. The claim of reopening the right hand fracture was also denied due to lack of new and material evidence.,Service connection for a lipoma under the left shoulder blade is pending as requested by the veteran.

The veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum schedular evaluation available under VA regulations. The Board finds that separate compensable evaluations for each ear are not warranted.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral tinnitus is currently rated at the maximum allowable under Diagnostic Code 6260, which is a 10 percent rating. The Board finds that there is no legal basis for assigning a higher rating.

The veteran's tinnitus is currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling, and the Board finds that a higher evaluation is not warranted under the applicable rating criteria.

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 evaluation in excess of this rating.