Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2010

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings have been denied as the evidence does not support a higher rating for his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are due to noise exposure during service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for tinnitus and hepatitis C have been granted, effective September 5, 2007. The Board is taking action favorable to the Veteran by granting these claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been denied as he does not currently have a diagnosed disability of tinnitus. The claim for hearing loss is pending and will be addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, ulcerative colitis, and tinnitus, are found to be sufficient for a TDIU due to their combined rating of 80 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is about his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has determined that further development, including obtaining an examination, is needed before the claim can be decided.

The Veteran's appeal for a TDIU is being remanded due to inadequate reasons and bases in the previous decision, as well as the need for additional development including obtaining medical records and possibly Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits information.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability, but denied the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to lack of valid audiometric test results.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current tinnitus disability is more likely than not related to service, and thus grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Board denied an initial schedular evaluation in excess of 40 percent for the Veteran's service-connected fibromyalgia with headaches, sleeplessness, fatigue, and diffuse multiple joint pain. The issue of whether separate ratings for individual joint disabilities are warranted was also denied.

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

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations.

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

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure or an upward shift in hearing thresholds. The claim for service connection for PTSD was also denied, with the examiner indicating that the current symptoms are less likely related to military noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for residuals of conjunctivitis, tinnitus, and rheumatoid arthritis have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not have onset in service or due to service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and sinusitis were denied. The maximum schedular rating of 10 percent for tinnitus was granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is attributable to in-service acoustic trauma and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, but he does not have a current diagnosis of right ear hearing loss. The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral knee arthritis is related to his military service.