Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2007

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude all forms of substantially gainful employment, given his education and prior work experience.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of tinnitus, finding that no evidence supported a claim prior to March 20, 2003.

The veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the statutory criteria for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 were not met.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to service. The effective dates for the grant of service connection for colon cancer and hypertension were also not granted.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection due to issues not being addressed properly in previous decisions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no competent evidence of in-service onset or continuity of symptomatology.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral tinnitus is already assigned the maximum rating of 10 percent, and no higher evaluation can be granted under current regulations.

The Board has decided that a new examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The case will be returned for further review.

The veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss in the right ear, tinnitus, and bilateral otitis media and otitis externa were denied. The Board found no evidence of right ear hearing loss during service or within one year post-service, and did not find a nexus between current symptoms and service. Tinnitus was assigned a single 10% rating as it is perceived in both ears.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and reopened the claim of service connection for tinnitus. The effective date for PTSD remains December 23, 1998.,An earlier effective date for PTSD is not possible as a matter of law.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for vertigo and an earlier effective date for tinnitus service connection, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability or a relationship to service. The claim for tinnitus was granted with an effective date of April 23, 2002.

The VA has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service.,The VA also found no evidence of a prostate disorder or skin lesions in connection with Agent Orange exposure.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his service-connected tinnitus, finding that a single 10 percent evaluation is the maximum allowed under current regulations.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than October 4, 2004 for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as there was no legal basis to assign such a date.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no legal entitlement to such dates based on the evidence of record.

The veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and consideration of Social Security Administration records.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating his claims.

The Board found that the veteran's tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by his active duty service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete medical records and the need for additional examinations.