Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2007

The veteran's claim for separate evaluations for bilateral tinnitus is denied as the maximum schedular rating of 10% is already assigned.

The veteran's claim for separate compensable evaluations for tinnitus in each ear is denied as there is no legal basis to award such ratings.

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 claim of entitlement to separate schedular ratings for tinnitus in each ear is denied as there is no legal basis upon which to award such.

The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the appellant currently has bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus that were incurred as a result of his active military duty. Service connection for tinnitus and a bilateral hearing loss disability is granted.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of tinnitus was denied as the earliest claim for service connection for tinnitus was received in March 2003, more than a year after service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for residuals of a head injury, tinnitus, hypothyroidism, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, and amblyopia. The evidence did not support these claims as there was no current disability related to any of these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, hypertension, headaches, bilateral hearing loss, skin rash (claimed as affecting the hands and neck), rheumatoid arthritis (claimed as arthritis of the hands), and tinnitus due to lack of verified in-service stressors for PTSD, absence of medical evidence linking these conditions to service, and passage of time since discharge.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and asbestosis are not related to service. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board has decided that the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and tinnitus need further review due to incomplete medical records. The case is being remanded to allow for additional examination and evidence collection.

The Board has determined that the veteran is entitled to service connection for tinnitus due to in-service acoustic trauma. The benefit of doubt has been resolved in favor of the veteran.,Service connection for a back disorder has not been established, as there is no medical evidence linking it to active service.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed conditions of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and COPD were not incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, and thus denied both claims.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral defective hearing and chronic tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of such conditions during or within one year after his military service.

The Board previously denied the veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus. The Court has ordered a remand to provide an additional VA examination, specifically addressing the National Guard service period.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further development and consideration due to procedural issues. The claims are related to service connection for the cause of death and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.

The Board has found that none of the claimed conditions are related to service, and thus denied all claims for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for service-connected tinnitus, finding that a single 10 percent rating is the maximum available under current regulations.

The veteran's appeal for an increased rating for service-connected tinnitus was denied as the maximum schedular rating of 10% is available under current regulations.