Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2007

The Board has remanded the case back to the RO for scheduling a Travel Board hearing. The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are pending.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant before a decision was made.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance or housebound status. The veteran's current tinnitus was not found to be related to his active military service, and he is not considered helpless or bedridden due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current chronic left knee disorder, right knee disorder, or tinnitus disability. As such, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board denied claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss. The claim for a compensable evaluation for the right foot fracture was also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's service connection claims for tinnitus, back disability, and groin/lower abdominal disability. The decision found no new and material evidence to reopen these claims.

The veteran's claim for separate schedular 10 percent disability ratings for bilateral tinnitus is denied as the current version of Diagnostic Code 6260 precludes separate evaluations.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are disorders of service origin, granting his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are likely due to noise exposure during his military service, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or chronic symptoms within one year post-service. The VA examiners concluded that these conditions are more likely due to natural aging process and other health problems.

The veteran is seeking service connection for chronic bilateral hearing loss disability and chronic tinnitus, which he claims are related to his military service. The VA has not obtained all relevant medical records and will need to conduct further examinations and obtain additional information before making a decision on the claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his service, while the scar on his right ring finger is considered a direct result of service. The claim for the scar was granted.

The veteran's claims for higher ratings for diabetes mellitus and a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities were denied. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a TDIU, as his combined disability rating was less than 70%.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not begin in service, were not shown to be related to service, and therefore denied his claims for service connection.

The VA determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not originate during his active service, as there was no evidence of such conditions in his service records. The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence is against the claims for service connection.

The veteran's tinnitus is related to service and the Board finds that it was incurred in active duty.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further review and development due to issues related to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected adjustment disorder with anxious mood, rhinitis, and tinnitus. The veteran was assigned a 10 percent evaluation for his service-connected tinnitus but not for his other conditions.