Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2007

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. As a result, these claims remain denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to insufficient rationale in the VA examiner's opinion regarding the etiology of the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and initial rating for tinnitus cannot be granted as there is no evidence of a formal or informal claim prior to February 4, 1997. The maximum schedular rating for tinnitus under current regulations is 10 percent.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as his total combined rating is only 60 percent and he does not meet the percentage standards for schedular TDIU consideration. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against the claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, dizziness/vertigo, low back pain, tinnitus, and a skin condition are denied as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease. The veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy during his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's petition to reopen his claims for service connection for psychophysiological GI reaction (claimed as shell shock) and tinnitus, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The VA determined that the veteran's current thyroid disorder and tinnitus are not related to his service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have hearing loss, tinnitus, or carpal tunnel syndrome that is related to his military service. The preponderance of evidence is against these claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no legal basis to grant higher evaluations under applicable VA regulations.

The Board has granted the reopening of the veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, but denied the claim for service connection for hypertension as secondary to diabetes mellitus.

The Board has ordered a remand due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus. The case will be reviewed again after further examination.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of current disability or a link to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as his claim for an increased rating for compression fracture at T7. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to military service or had their onset during active duty.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current diagnoses of hearing loss or tinnitus, and his reports are not credible. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no competent evidence linking these conditions to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has granted effective dates earlier than April 24, 2003 for service connection of residuals of frostbite to the hands and bilateral hearing loss based on CUE. Tinnitus was also granted an effective date prior to April 24, 2003 based on CUE.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by military service.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected cervical spine DDD, tinnitus, and low back DDD with arthritic changes. The VA found that the veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation under the applicable rating schedule. Service connection was also denied for arthritis of various joints and GERD.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not pre-exist service, but were not incurred or aggravated by active service. The evidence does not support a finding of current disability for either condition.

The veteran is seeking service connection for tinnitus. The VA has requested a new examination to determine if the current tinnitus is related to his military service, specifically noise exposure during service.