Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2008

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus that developed in service and is otherwise causally related to service. The evidence preponderates against these claims.

The veteran's claim for service connection for asbestosis was denied. The claims for service connection for anxiety, hearing loss, and tinnitus are also denied.

The veteran's tinnitus is related to noise exposure during service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate notice regarding service connection for the cause of death and DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including VA examinations and the provision of notice letters.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus, and his dental disability of teeth numbers 18 and 31 is service-connected. However, he does not have any other diagnosed disabilities related to his military service.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor are they proximately due to a service-connected disability. The evidence did not support a finding of secondary service connection.

The veteran withdrew his appeals concerning higher initial ratings for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss prior to September 25, 2007, and to a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss from September 25, 2007.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a pulmonary disability, skin cancer, or a left toe disability. The evidence does not support a finding of current disabilities related to these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss in both ears, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current conditions and military service.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, including noise exposure or an insect incident. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed peripheral neuropathy of bilateral upper extremities and chronic tinnitus are not service-connected, as there is no evidence showing their onset during or related to his military service.

The veteran's attorney is denied eligibility for payment of attorney fees from past-due benefits awarded by the July 2006 grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The decision also notes that an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been granted, but does not affect the denial of attorney fees.

The veteran's chronic paranoid schizophrenia is found to have its onset during service and granted service connection.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as the evidence does not show a nexus between current hearing loss and military noise exposure. However, tinnitus was granted as secondary to acoustic trauma experienced in service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for varicose veins, peripheral vascular disease, right ear hearing loss, hypertension, and left ear hearing loss. The Board found no current disability for VA compensation purposes in these conditions.

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

The veteran was granted service connection for PTSD with a rating of 30% and effective date of July 19, 2004. The grant of service connection for tinnitus is denied as the earliest possible effective date is November 16, 2001.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, left ear hearing loss, migraine headaches, coronary artery disease status post CABG, and bilateral tendonitis of the feet.