Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2007

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have hearing loss or tinnitus attributable to his period of service and therefore denied both claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus is related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus and granted service connection for this condition.

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

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence does not establish that these conditions are related to military service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed chronic tinnitus.

The veteran's claim for separate compensable evaluations for tinnitus is denied as the version of 38 C.F.R. § 4.87, Diagnostic Code 6260 in effect prior to June 2003 precludes an evaluation in excess of a single 10 percent for tinnitus.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral tinnitus is assigned a maximum 10 percent rating, and the claim for an increased rating is denied.

The Board found that the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, as there is no evidence of injury or disease in service. The Board also noted a lack of objective evidence of continuing complaints for many years after service.

The Board has determined that there is no legal entitlement to an effective date earlier than October 4, 2001 for the grant of service connection for tinnitus.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and tinnitus. The reasons include uncorroborated stressor accounts, lack of evidence linking current conditions to service, and negative clinical records.

The veteran's claim for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 60 percent for bilateral hearing loss or a separate 10 percent evaluation for each ear for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed bilateral tinnitus is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran is not entitled to a compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss or an increased rating for tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether it is related to active service. The issue of a compensable initial rating for perforated left eardrum remains pending and will be remanded.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have hearing loss or tinnitus related to his service, and therefore denied both claims.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further action, including scheduling a hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus was denied as there is no legal basis to award separate compensable ratings for tinnitus in each ear.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that his tinnitus was related to service but not meeting criteria for an increased rating or separate disability ratings. The right knee and left knee disabilities were found to be rated appropriately under the applicable diagnostic codes. The lumbar spine disability did not meet criteria for a higher rating.

The veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a skin condition are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has granted a 10% disability rating for bilateral hearing loss, but denied the veteran's request for an increased rating for tinnitus as there is no provision in the applicable VA rating criteria for separate ratings for each ear or a higher rating.