Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2007

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to potential new evidence, but no specific details on rating assigned or effective date are provided.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, including exposure to hazardous noise. As a result, the claims for service connection have been denied.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and an initial noncompensable evaluation for hearing loss. The veteran's hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating based on the evidence of record.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and partially granted the claim for an increased rating of the veteran's gunshot wound, dorsum of left foot to 20 percent. The veteran is not entitled to a higher rating or service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed chronic bilateral hearing loss disability and chronic tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated during active service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete review of medical records and need for further investigation by medical professionals.

The veteran's tinnitus was found to have been incurred in service, meeting the criteria for direct service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by his military service, as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease. The pre-existing conditions did not worsen during service.

The Board has reopened the appellant's service connection claim for the cause of the veteran's death due to new and material evidence submitted since the December 2000 decision. However, the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that any service-connected disability caused or contributed substantially or materially to the cause of the veteran's death.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected conditions did not contribute to his death, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

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 continuity of symptomatology post-service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus was not incurred or aggravated by his active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's service connection claims for low back disorder, gastrointestinal disorder, hearing loss, and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or in-service incurrence or aggravation.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected bilateral tinnitus has been denied as the maximum schedular rating of 10% is already assigned.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral tinnitus has been assigned the maximum schedular evaluation available, and his claim for separate 10 percent evaluations for each ear is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran is already receiving the maximum disability rating available for tinnitus under the applicable rating criteria, and therefore an evaluation in excess of a single 10 percent for tinnitus cannot be assigned. The claim for separate compensable evaluations for each ear for tinnitus must also be denied.

The Board found that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, and thus denied these claims. The VA examiner concluded that the current hearing loss was not related to noise exposure during service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus is service-connected, and it was found at least as likely as not associated with military noise exposure. The residuals of a metatarsal fracture of the left foot are also service-connected.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as the maximum schedular evaluations are already assigned.

The Board found no evidence of a current diagnosis of PTSD and denied the veteran's claim for service connection. The hearing loss and tinnitus issues are remanded for further examination.