Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2008

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent, effective February 8, 2006. The appeal is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have diagnoses of certain conditions, and there is no competent medical evidence linking his military service to any current disabilities. Therefore, these claims for service connection are denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that there was no legal basis to award higher ratings or secondary service connection. The veteran's hearing loss is currently rated at 30 percent, tinnitus at maximum schedular rating (10%), diabetes mellitus at 20%, diabetic neuropathy of both upper extremities at 10% each, and major depressive disorder was not found to be related to his diabetes.

The veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for tinnitus has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board found that the veteran did not have a hearing loss or tinnitus related to service and denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling an examination and obtaining additional medical records. The veteran's claim of service connection for vertigo is on appeal.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there was no medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The Board also noted that the veteran did not report any complaints of hearing loss or ringing in his ears during service or at his separation examination.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete information regarding his Reserve duty. The case will be returned to the RO/AMC for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete VA treatment records and the need for an audiologist's opinion regarding whether current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and assigned a rating of 70 percent effective January 25, 2007. The veteran's earlier ratings were upheld.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed left knee, neck, and back disorders are not related to service. The tinnitus claim is also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated during her active service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have hearing loss or tinnitus as a result of his active military service.

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

The veteran's service connection for tinnitus and initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss are both granted. However, the veteran does not meet the criteria for an initial compensable rating for his hearing loss.

The veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection as it became manifest within one year of his separation from active duty and meets the criteria for presumptive service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that while he had sufficient left ear hearing loss to be considered a disability by VA standards, there was conflicting evidence regarding whether it was incurred in service. The right ear hearing loss claim was also denied.

The veteran's initial ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as they do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The veteran's service-connected recurrent tinnitus is assigned a 10 percent evaluation, the maximum rating authorized under Diagnostic Code 6260. The veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected tinnitus must be denied as a matter of law.