Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to September 26, 2007 for a grant of service connection for tinnitus. The Veteran's claim was granted in January 2008 with no earlier effective date due to lack of evidence of a previous claim.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that he does not have a current disability. The claim for left ear hearing loss disability is granted based on in-service noise exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral pes planus as these conditions are found to be causally related to active service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in service or due to any incident of service, thus denying his claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the evidence currently of record is sufficient to establish the Veteran's entitlement to service connection for tinnitus, and thus grants the claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for asthma and tinnitus were denied, and the claim for an earlier effective date for his service-connected severe restrictive disease with chronic interstitial scarring on both upper lungs was granted. The effective date of this grant is set at December 12, 2002.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA audiologist examination to determine if his hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected tinnitus is assigned a maximum schedular rating of 10 percent, which is the highest available under Diagnostic Code 6260. The Board finds no legal basis for assigning separate ratings for bilateral tinnitus and denies his claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss disorder and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a hearing loss disorder during service or within one year of separation. The criteria for hearing loss under VA regulations were not met in any of the audiometric evaluations conducted during the Veteran's active duty.

The VA determined that there is no current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus, and thus denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Veteran's laryngeal cancer, chronic skin disorder (irritant dermatitis), and chronic eye disorder (recurring corneal erosion) are all found to be related to service. Bilateral defective hearing is not considered a service-connected condition, while tinnitus was not established as being incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus during service and concluded that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service. The claims for service connection were denied.

The Board has denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD. The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are pending as there is no evidence of current disability or a link between the conditions and service. Service connection for frostbite of the feet was also denied due to lack of continuity of symptoms since discharge.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim and found that new evidence supports a finding of service connection for tinnitus. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's hearing loss, which is already service-connected, likely caused his current tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, but there is no evidence of hearing loss for VA purposes within one year of discharge. Therefore, service connection is granted for tinnitus but denied for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability and obtaining updated VA treatment records.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service and granted his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to in-service noise exposure, and the claims for service connection are granted.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II. The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been remanded due to the Veteran's failure to appear at a scheduled hearing. The case will be rescheduled for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.