Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2008

The Board has determined that the veteran's initial claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not filed prior to August 26, 2003. Therefore, the effective dates of these grants are denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, including exposure to noise. As a result, the appeal is granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a foot fungus to include as due to exposure to herbicides, and a skin disorder of the arms to include as due to exposure to herbicides. The cyst condition was also not granted service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus is related to noise exposure during his military service, and thus grants the claim for service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining a clarifying medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the veteran's claimed tinnitus.

The veteran's claim for a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities was denied as his service-connected conditions, in and of themselves, did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the appellant's alcoholism is not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected PTSD. Therefore, service connection for alcoholism secondary to service-connected PTSD is denied.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations for bilateral tinnitus and hearing loss were denied, as the maximum schedular evaluation of 10 percent is assigned for each condition. The claim for an earlier effective date for service connection was also denied.

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

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, with effective dates of July 17, 2002. The veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for his hearing loss was also granted.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran's atrial fibrillation does not manifest with more than four episodes per year, and thus grants a 10 percent rating for this condition. The claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence of an increase in severity during service. The preexisting conditions are presumed to have existed prior to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran is already receiving the maximum disability rating available for tinnitus under applicable regulations, and thus cannot be granted a higher initial rating. The claim of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD remains pending.

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

The veteran's appeal for a TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling an examination. The issue of service connection for vertigo secondary to hearing loss and tinnitus has also been referred back for further consideration.

The veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is being remanded to the RO for further development and consideration of recent medical evidence.

The veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at St. Cloud Hospital from September 2, 2004 to September 4, 2004 are granted as the treatment was for an emergent condition and VA facilities were not feasibly available.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus. The claims for increased evaluations of the lumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities were also denied.

The Board found that the veteran's current headaches were not incurred in or aggravated by service, and denied his claim for service connection.