Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and Morton's neuroma with osteoarthritis of the right foot were denied. The claim for an increased rating for low back strain was also denied, but remanded due to conflicting evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the issue of bilateral hearing loss to obtain a VA audiological examination.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a stomach disability due to new and material evidence. However, it denied his claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an increased rating for status post tonsillectomy.

The Veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder is not entitled to an evaluation in excess of 30 percent, and his claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including verifying the Veteran's claimed noise exposure and obtaining VA audiological examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there was no medical evidence linking the current disabilities to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for hearing loss in the right ear was denied as his current level of disability does not meet the criteria for any higher evaluation.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to October 2, 2006 for the grant of service connection for tinnitus is granted. The effective date is set at November 20, 1987, which is the day following his separation from active duty.

The Veteran does not have tinnitus that is related to his military service and the claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU as his combined rating is less than 70% and he does not have one disability rated at least 40%. The Board finds that the evidence does not support an extra-schedular evaluation.

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

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no increase in severity of pre-existing conditions during active duty and doubting the Veteran's credibility regarding his onset of tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted, with the exception of left ear hearing loss and gastrointestinal disability. The inner ear disability other than hearing loss was reopened due to new evidence, hypertension was not found to be related to service or service-connected conditions, and gastrointestinal disability was found to be aggravated by PTSD.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, traumatic arthritis of the left knee, and a psychiatric disability including anxiety, depression, and psychosis. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, which represents a complete grant of the benefit sought on appeal. The issues of hearing loss of the left ear, low back condition, dizziness condition, and panic attacks/disorder (secondary to dizziness) are addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision below and are REMANDED to the RO via the Appeals Management Center in Washington, D.C.

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

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities include multiple knee conditions, a scalp laceration, and restrictive airway disease. The appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development of evidence regarding his new claims and VA examinations.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service. The Board also noted that there was no evidence of these conditions in service or for many years thereafter. Service connection was denied on a direct basis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, erectile dysfunction, and a back disability were denied. The Board finds that the evidence does not support these claims.