Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2008

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no competent and persuasive evidence showing a relationship between his current conditions and his military service.

The Board found no evidence of a causal relationship between the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus and his military service, including exposure to noise. As such, the claims for service connection were denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not attributable to service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Board has determined that there is no competent medical evidence showing a direct relationship between the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus and his active service. The examiner noted that these conditions are more likely related to noise exposure from occupational and recreational activities after discharge.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and making a formal finding regarding the effect of the other than honorable discharge on the veteran's claims. A VA examination will also be scheduled to determine the current nature and likely etiology of the claimed back disability.

The veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which he claims are related to noise exposure during active duty. The case has been remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine the etiology of his current conditions.

The veteran's claims for PTSD, hearing loss, and tinnitus were granted effective from December 24, 2002.,PTSD, hearing loss, and tinnitus have been awarded retroactively to the date of claim (December 24, 2002).,No specific effective date was assigned for these conditions as they are considered new claims filed after a final denial.

The Board has determined that the VA examination report is inadequate for rating purposes and remands the case to provide a new examination. The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of hearing impairment or tinnitus during service. The post-service medical records do not show any complaints or treatment for these conditions until many years after service ended.

The veteran's tinnitus is currently rated as 10 percent disabling. The effective date for service connection of tinnitus has been set at November 7, 2003.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for PTSD, finding that his symptoms did not warrant a higher rating. The veteran was assigned a 30 percent disability rating for PTSD.

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 injury or disease resulting in current disabilities. The claim for PTSD was also denied as there is insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the disability and service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The veteran's claims for skin cancer and hearing loss are remanded for additional development.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral tinnitus is already assigned the maximum rating of 10 percent, and therefore a separate rating for each ear cannot be granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus and hypertension are not service-connected due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service, including exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has determined that the appellant's current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are causally related to his in-service noise exposure, and thus service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the appellant's bilateral hearing loss is related to noise exposure during active duty training (ACDUTRA) service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination and scheduling of the veteran for a Travel Board hearing.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service. The secondary service connection claim for hypertension due to diabetes mellitus was also denied. The evaluations for right knee fracture, diabetes mellitus, and diabetic neuropathy were not established based on the available evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions attributable to military service.