Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2007

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus arose during active service and continues to exist, warranting service connection. However, there is no evidence of right ear hearing loss in service or after service until 2003, and the VA examiner opined it was unlikely related to military service. The claim for left ear hearing loss remains pending as new and material evidence has not been received.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as his claim for service connection for hepatitis C. The decision found no legal basis for an increased rating for either condition and denied service connection due to lack of evidence linking the conditions to service.

The veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral tinnitus is being remanded due to conflicting statements regarding the onset of his tinnitus and the need for a new VA examination.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as his claim for service connection for hypertension as secondary to diabetes mellitus. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service or service-connected disabilities.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, resulting in a grant of service connection for these conditions.

The veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and a retroactive effective date for tinnitus was denied.

The veteran's service-connected tinnitus is already receiving the maximum rating of 10 percent, and no additional rating can be granted under current regulations.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to exposure to carbon tetrachloride have been denied. The Board has remanded the cases of vision abnormalities with cataracts, memory loss, swelling of the hands and feet, and arthritis of multiple joints for further examination and opinion.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral tinnitus is related to his active duty service, while residuals of eustachian tube dysfunction are not supported by evidence. The veteran is granted service connection for tinnitus.

The veteran's claim for separate 10 percent evaluations for tinnitus in each ear is denied as the condition is assigned a single 10 percent rating under applicable VA regulations.

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus in service and denied the veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as not related to his military service.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not service-connected, but it is uncertain whether his tinnitus is related to military service. The decision is mixed as some issues are granted and others are denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has reviewed all evidence, but found no current disabilities for hearing loss and tinnitus. The veteran's knee condition is also denied as there is no competent medical evidence of a current disability.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, residuals of a neck injury, hypertension, hepatitis A, left ear hearing loss disability, and tinnitus. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active military service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for general and special apportionments of his service-connected disability compensation payments, finding that he is not reasonably discharging his responsibility for support of his spouse or children, and that a special apportionment would cause undue hardship.

The Board found that the appellant's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated during service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The veteran's claims for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are being remanded due to the need for further evidence, including a VA audiometry examination.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the inability to reconstruct his service medical records. The VA has a duty to assist in obtaining these records and will contact the appropriate sources for further information.