Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination regarding the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as consideration of lay evidence.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor could they be presumed to have been incurred therein. The claim was denied.

The Veteran's hearing loss and neuropsychiatric disorder are service-connected, but tinnitus is not. The Board granted the claims for hearing loss and a neuropsychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's combined evaluation for service-connected disabilities is 80 percent from June 20, 2000 to June 10, 2004, and 90 percent from June 11, 2004. The criteria for assignment of an increased combined evaluation are not met.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to in-service acoustic trauma and granted service connection for this condition. The initial compensable rating claim for the left ankle disability remains pending.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus as incurred during active military service in the RVN, but denied service connection for a skin disability and right knee disability on the basis of lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, right shoulder bursitis, and lumbosacral strain have been granted. The Veteran is now rated at a 10% disability rating for his right shoulder bursitis and a 10% disability rating for his lumbosacral strain.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for hearing loss in the left ear and tinnitus have been denied. The Veteran is already receiving the maximum schedular evaluation available for these disabilities.

The Veteran's heart disability, including hypertensive heart disease, was not incurred or aggravated during service and is not presumed to have been incurred therein. Service connection for a left leg disability secondary to the heart disability is denied as there is no competent evidence linking such disability to service.,There is no medical evidence of a current bilateral hearing loss disability or any link between any incident of service, including claimed acoustic trauma, and the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there was no evidence showing these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active duty. The claim for an initial compensable evaluation for residuals of a scalp laceration was also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his exposure to combat noise trauma during service and grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, and his claim for a TDIU is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left great toe disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral tinnitus is granted as the condition was incurred in, or caused by, his active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence of a pre-existing condition worsening during service. The claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied due to lack of aggravation, while the claim for tinnitus was denied based on the absence of a link between current symptoms and service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, specifically exposure to acoustic trauma during combat duty in Vietnam. The claim is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service noise exposure, warranting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not etiologically linked to his service or any incident therein, and thus denied both claims for service connection.

The Veteran died in October 2005 from intracranial hemorrhage due to, or as a consequence of, hypertension. The RO will need to provide proper notice and obtain a medical opinion regarding the cause of death and its relation to service-connected conditions.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic left knee disorder, bilateral hearing loss, or tinnitus during service or within one year post-service. The Veteran's claims for these conditions are therefore denied.