Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2008

The veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence, including personnel records and a VA examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, right ear hearing loss, and tinnitus. The veteran's left ear hearing loss was found to be manifested by an average pure tone threshold of 47.5 decibels and speech discrimination score of 94, which is not considered a disability under VA criteria. The Board also denied the claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability for VA purposes and therefore cannot establish service connection for bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus. The Board finds no evidence of chronicity or continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a low back injury, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for chronic right ear hearing loss disability and chronic tinnitus, as well as his claim for an initial compensable evaluation for left ear hearing loss disability. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active service.

The Board has found that the veteran did not file a formal or informal claim for tinnitus prior to June 11, 2001. The effective date of service connection for tinnitus is therefore denied.,The Board has also found that the veteran did not file a formal or informal claim for shell fragment wounds to his right buttock, left index finger, and left forearm prior to June 11, 2001. The effective dates of service connection for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting VA examinations to determine if the veteran's current lumbar spine disability, hearing loss, and tinnitus are related to his military service.

The veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence that a claim was filed prior to September 25, 2003.

The Board has remanded the case due to scheduling issues and needs further development before a decision can be made.

The veteran's hearing loss was rated at 40 percent prior to May 17, 2004 and increased to 50 percent thereafter. The veteran is now entitled to a 50 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, a skin disability, and a right foot disability. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the veteran's current conditions are likely due to noise exposure during his military service. The claims were reopened based on new evidence submitted by the veteran.

The veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is being remanded due to the need for further examination and development of his medical records.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of current bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus, and thus service connection for these conditions cannot be granted. The veteran's claim for a compensable rating for hypertension remains pending as the most recent medical records are dated in September 2005.

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

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to determine the validity of the veteran's claims for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The RO must schedule examinations and obtain verification of claimed stressors before these issues can be adjudicated.

The Board found that the veteran did not have tinnitus during service or within a year of separation, and there is no evidence showing it was caused by military noise exposure. The claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial disability evaluations for his hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities, finding that the evidence did not warrant a rating in excess of the current assigned ratings.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus is likely related to his service exposure to noise, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The hearing loss claim requires further development as it involves a complex medical opinion regarding onset and etiology.