Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2009

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board making a decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are not related to his service, and thus denied these claims. The headaches were found to be incurred in service.

The Board has remanded the case to accommodate the Veteran's request for a video-conference hearing before the Board.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may they be presumed to have been so incurred or aggravated.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and awarded a 30 percent rating for residuals of right shoulder dislocation, finding that the Veteran's symptoms were related to his active military service. The claim for an increased evaluation was denied as there was no evidence of frequent episodes or guarding of all arm movements.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus effective June 2, 2004 on the basis of new evidence. The Veteran's original claim was denied in October 1970 and July 1972 due to lack of new factual basis. He submitted a statement seeking earlier effective date on June 2, 2004.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have hearing loss or tinnitus that is attributable to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not originate during his period of active service or within one year thereafter, and are not otherwise related to any period of service. The claim for service connection is therefore denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by active service, and denied both claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence submitted, but denied service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss. The decision on whether to reopen the claim of bilateral hearing loss is pending.

The Board found that the Veteran did not timely file a Notice of Disagreement with the February 2005 rating decision denying service connection for tinnitus. The claim was subsequently reopened based on new and material evidence submitted in March 2008, but the Board denied service connection as there is no competent medical evidence showing tinnitus was incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, skin disability causing sensitivity secondary to diabetes mellitus, and his petition to reopen his previously denied claim of service connection for refractive error and hyperopia. The TDIU claim was also denied.

The Veteran's right wrist disability, residuals of shrapnel wound to the right hand, and left hip disability are all found to be related to service. However, there is no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus during service or within one year post-service, leading to a determination that these conditions are not related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service and has granted service connection for this condition. However, there is insufficient evidence to support a finding of secondary service connection for the right hip disability.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been withdrawn. The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart condition, bowel resection, and arthritis of the hands are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection claims have been denied. The Board found no legal basis to award separate schedular evaluations for tinnitus in each ear, as the maximum rating of 10 percent is already assigned under Diagnostic Code 6260.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues with notice and a need for additional development, including clarification of whether the Veteran desires a videoconference hearing.

The Veteran withdrew the appeals for hearing loss, recurrent tinnitus, and PTSD.