Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2008

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

The veteran's claim for a separate 10 percent rating for each ear for tinnitus was denied as there is no legal basis to award such ratings, given the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent has already been assigned.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his service, specifically working with jet engines. As a result, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection were denied. The hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, hypertension as 10 percent disabling, lumbar strain also at 10 percent, and the other conditions are not found to be related to active service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of left wrist, bilateral hearing loss, or tinnitus disabilities. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary artery disease, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The conditions did not manifest in service or within one year thereafter, and there was no evidence of a causal relationship to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, and therefore denied all claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service acoustic trauma, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus to his active service, including noise exposure. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD. The remaining claims of entitlement to service connection for bronchial asthma, low back disability (Gulf War Illness, painful joints), tinnitus, and hearing loss in the right ear are addressed in the REMAND portion.

The veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral tinnitus was granted as of June 2, 1970. The effective date is based on the earliest date an informal claim could have been filed.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and organic heart disease post pacemaker implantation due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the veteran's military service.

The veteran's service-connected tinnitus has been assigned the maximum schedular rating available for tinnitus of one or both ears. As there is no legal basis upon which to award separate schedular evaluations for tinnitus in each ear, the claim must be denied.

The veteran's service-connected tinnitus is assigned a 10 percent rating, the maximum rating authorized under Diagnostic Code (DC) 6260. There is no legal basis for the assignment of a schedular evaluation in excess of 10 percent for bilateral tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and did not grant an earlier effective date for the cervical spine disability.

The veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus, to include separate evaluations for each ear, is denied as the maximum schedular rating available for tinnitus has been assigned.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus is likely caused by in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions regarding his hearing loss, tinnitus, and back disorder.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no legal basis to grant a higher rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.