Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2009

The Board has determined that the appellant's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, including noise exposure as a mechanic and heavy equipment operator in the 101st Airborne.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as evidenced by the lack of in-service noise exposure and normal hearing at separation. The post-service medical records do not support a finding of current disabilities.

The Veteran's tinnitus is not shown by objective evidence to be related to his active service. The Board denied the claim of service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for basal cell carcinoma, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are reasonably related to his military service, thus granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. As such, these claims remain denied.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were aggravated during his active service, warranting service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for separate 10 percent ratings for tinnitus in each ear and an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding no legal basis for such ratings given the current maximum schedular evaluations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient evidence regarding his hearing loss and tinnitus, including a lack of adequate medical opinion on their etiology. The Veteran needs to undergo another VA examination to determine if his current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral tinnitus were denied as there was no verified in-service stressor for PTSD, no evidence of noise exposure related to service for hearing loss or tinnitus, and insufficient medical evidence linking the current conditions to service.

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

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left hip disability, right knee disability, and migraine headaches are denied. The claim for PTSD is granted with a 30% evaluation effective from March 14, 2007.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have PTSD, and his psychological disorder other than PTSD was not incurred in or aggravated by service. Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were also not found to be related to service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected, and his PTSD warrants a 70% rating. The Veteran meets the criteria for TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not manifest during or as a result of his military service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus to his military service, including noise exposure. The claims for service connection were denied.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, along with other service-connected conditions, has resulted in a 40 percent disability rating. The Board also granted the Veteran's claim for TDIU due to his inability to secure and maintain gainful employment.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for a right knee disability. The Veteran also received increased ratings for multiple non-compensable service-connected disabilities prior to September 28, 2007.