Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2007

The Board found no connection between the veteran's current mild hearing impairment or tinnitus and her period of service. Neither disability was manifest during service, and secondary service connection for leukemia treatment was also denied.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the veteran's claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus being related to service. The veteran's separation examination was normal, and post-service medical records do not link his current conditions to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of June 25, 2002 for grants of service connection for onychomycosis, tinnitus, and disabilities of the right shoulder, lumbar spine, and right hip. The evidence did not support a finding that VA mishandled his pre-separation claims or that he filed an informal claim prior to June 25, 2002.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a lumbar spine disorder were all denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support these claims.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for scheduling a Travel Board hearing. The issues of separate 10 percent disability ratings for bilateral tinnitus and entitlement to an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for skin lesions and actinic keratosis of the head are pending.

The veteran's service-connected tinnitus is already rated at the maximum allowed under the applicable rating criteria, so a higher rating cannot be granted.

The veteran's request for a hearing before the Board at the RO has been granted, and he must be scheduled for a video hearing.

The Board found that the veteran does not have tinnitus and denied his claim for service connection. The initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss was granted, but the issue of an increased rating remains pending.

The veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded for further development, including obtaining a VA examination to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service noise exposure, and service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board found that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure leading to current disabilities. The claims for service connection were denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than November 22, 2004 for the grant of a total disability rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to lack of evidence showing that the veteran filed an informal claim prior to November 2004 or that his service-connected disabilities underwent an increase in severity within one year prior to November 2004.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further examination and analysis regarding his claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The examiner will need to determine the etiology of these conditions, considering both military service exposure and any current symptoms.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The veteran's tinnitus and right ear hearing loss are found to be service-connected. The left ear hearing loss is not service-connected.

The Board found that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated in service, as there was no evidence of such conditions during service. The left knee disorder is also not considered to be related to service due to lack of pre-service abnormality noted at enlistment.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with mild spinal stenosis and bilateral pes planus, tinnitus, and sensorineural hearing loss, preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation. The Board finds that he meets the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss do not warrant increased ratings. The claim for service connection for vertigo is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability causally related to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, as they were incurred due to exposure to noise during active service. The degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine is also service-connected based on continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, increased disability ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The evidence did not support a finding that his current conditions were related to military service or any service-connected disabilities.