Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance of another person was denied as his service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to care for most of his daily personal needs without regular personal assistance from others.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus. The veteran's claims were based on direct evidence rather than presumptive exposure to Agent Orange or other conditions.

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

The Board finds that the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are more likely due to post-service noise exposure, but service connection is granted as his in-service acoustic trauma provided a basis for these conditions.

The veteran's tinnitus disability is currently rated at the maximum of 10 percent, and no separate ratings are allowed under VA rating criteria.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and for separate initial schedular 10 percent ratings for bilateral tinnitus. The claim for service connection was based on a lack of medical evidence linking any current psychiatric disorders to service, while the claim for increased ratings for tinnitus was found to be without legal merit due to the existing regulations not allowing for separate ratings.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed bilateral tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence of such conditions during service or within one year post-service. The VA examinations did not find a nexus between current disabilities and service.

The Board finds that the veteran's tinnitus is causally related to noise exposure during service and grants the claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral tinnitus has been rated at the maximum schedular evaluation of 10 percent, and no higher rating is available.

The veteran's claim for an initial schedular disability rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is denied.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral 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 Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral tinnitus is at least partly due to his in-service military noise exposure, and thus service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Board found that there was no clear and unmistakable error in the April 1996 rating decision, as the veteran failed to establish any kind of error of fact or law.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The claim for spasmodic torticollis was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability related to military service and noting the lack of continuity of symptomatology.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral ear condition and tinnitus, finding that there is no causal relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The veteran's claim for separate 10 percent ratings for each ear for his service-connected tinnitus was denied as the version of Diagnostic Code 6260 in effect prior to June 2003 precludes an initial evaluation in excess of a single 10 percent rating for tinnitus.

The veteran's request for separate 10 percent ratings for 'bilateral' tinnitus was denied as there is no provision for such in the applicable rating criteria.

The Board found no evidence of a causal relationship between the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities and his military service, including noise exposure. Therefore, both claims for service connection were denied.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, hearing loss, and lumbar spine disorder. The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his scars were also addressed but not decided.