Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2007

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus during service, and the medical evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to military noise exposure. As such, the veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation, and his claim for tinnitus is denied as there is no competent evidence of in-service noise exposure or service connection.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and enucleation of the right eye were denied. The maximum schedular evaluation (10%) is already assigned for each condition.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether the veteran's current diagnosis of bilateral tinnitus was incurred during his active duty service. As a result, the claim for service connection for bilateral tinnitus is granted.

The veteran's claims for separate 10 percent ratings for bilateral tinnitus and a compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability have been denied as the criteria do not allow for such evaluations.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including cold injuries and hearing loss, render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The veteran's claims for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertension were denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.,Service connection was not granted for PTSD due to lack of a verified inservice stressor.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and did not assign a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence regarding in-service noise exposure. The veteran is entitled to a VA examination to determine if his current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient medical evidence on file. The veteran is required to provide any evidence in his possession that pertains to his claim, including information about effective dates and disability ratings.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is as likely as not related to his in-service noise exposure and current hearing loss.

The Board found that the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus did not have their onset during active military service or within one year of separation, and there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his service. As such, the claims for service connection were denied.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for service-connected bilateral tinnitus, to include entitlement to separate evaluations for each ear, was denied as the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent is already assigned.

The VA denied compensation for additional disability resulting from the removal of an acoustic neuroma due to lack of fault or negligence on the part of VA in providing medical care.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for neck and esophageal disabilities resulting from medical treatment in December 1997, finding that there was no evidence of fault or negligence on the part of VA.

The veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance of another person or by reason of being housebound is remanded due to a lack of an examination, inadequate VCAA notice, and other procedural issues.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating and/or separate 10 percent ratings for each ear for his service-connected tinnitus is denied as the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent has already been assigned.

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

The veteran's TDIU claim was denied as the evidence did not show he became unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities during the year prior to filing his claim.

The Board found that the veteran's tinnitus is related to service and granted his claim for service connection.