Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2007

The Board has denied the veteran's petitions to reopen his claims for service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, cervical sprain, appendectomy scar, degenerative changes of the lumbar spine (now termed), tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and anxiety reaction. The RO previously denied these petitions in April 1997 and April 2002 without reopening them.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of in-service hearing loss or tinnitus. The VA examiner opined that it is not likely that current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a perforated tympanic membrane of the left ear, and tinnitus. The Board found that the disabilities did not increase in severity during service or as a consequence of service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service, specifically exposure to loud noise during combat operations in Vietnam. As a result, the claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment, and thus grants a TDIU.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as higher initial disability ratings for right and left ankle sprains. The veteran's current level of bilateral hearing acuity does not constitute a disability for which service connection can be granted under applicable VA regulations. Tinnitus was not incurred in active service. The schedular criteria for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for right ankle sprain have not been met, and the schedular criteria for a disability rating of 20 percent for left ankle sprain have been met.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities are rated less than 100 percent disabling, and the combined evaluation of his multiple service-connected disabilities is 60 percent. The case is REMANDED for referral to the Director of Compensation and Pension Service for extraschedular consideration.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence of these conditions during or after his military service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the validity of in-service stressors for PTSD, and to evaluate the veteran's claims related to hearing loss and tinnitus. The case is REMANDED for these purposes.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to determine the etiology of the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus, including whether they are related to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence linking the condition to his military service.

The veteran's low back disability is rated at 20 percent, and his service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU. The appeal is denied.

The veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection was denied. His tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, type II diabetes mellitus, and PTSD were all evaluated based on their current status without additional rating adjustments.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have service connection for bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus. The claims are denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected conditions render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment, and thus grants a TDIU.

The Board has determined that the May 1998 decision, which awarded a single 10% rating for tinnitus, cannot be challenged on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) because it was subsumed by a later Board decision.

The veteran's service-connected tinnitus has been assigned the maximum schedular rating available (10 percent), and there is no legal basis for a higher evaluation.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for hypertension and tinnitus, finding that new evidence supports these claims. The veteran's conditions were found to have onset during active service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for higher evaluations for his service-connected tinnitus and diverticulitis with resection of sigmoid and descending colon with hiatal hernia, finding that the maximum schedular ratings have been assigned.

The Board found no evidence of a hearing loss or tinnitus in service and concluded that the current conditions are not related to military service.