Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus is related to service exposure, and his residuals of a fractured left elbow are considered direct service connection. The claim for osteoarthritis of the arms, neck, and back was also granted as it meets the criteria for direct service connection.

The veteran's claim for separate 10 percent evaluations for each ear for bilateral tinnitus is denied as the maximum schedular evaluation available under both old and new versions of the governing regulation has already been assigned.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus and allergies (claimed as sinusitis) are not related to his military service.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the July 1999 rating decision that assigned a single 10% rating for bilateral tinnitus, as the applicable VA law and regulations at the time only provided for a maximum of a single 10% rating for tinnitus.

The veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted, as the Board finds that his tinnitus is causally related to his active duty service.

The veteran's tinnitus disability is already rated at the maximum allowed under VA rating criteria, and thus no additional ratings can be granted.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral tinnitus is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, which is the maximum rating authorized under Diagnostic Code 6260. The Board denied an increased rating for tinnitus.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus due to a lack of evidence linking his current condition to his military service, including noise exposure.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected restrictive airway disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher evaluation. The issue of tinnitus was remanded.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied as there is no current evidence of a disability for VA purposes, and the medical opinion provided does not support a finding of in-service incurrence or aggravation.

The veteran's appeal for an increased rating for tinnitus was denied because there is no legal basis to award a separate schedular evaluation for tinnitus in each ear. The issue of what evaluation is warranted from February 5, 2004, for a cervical spine disability is remanded due to the need for another VA examination.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the November 2001 rating decision assigning a single 10 percent rating for tinnitus, as the correct facts were known at that time and the law was properly applied. The veteran's claim of entitlement to separate ratings for tinnitus perceived in each ear is denied as a matter of law.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings on his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied. The RO assigned a noncompensable rating for the initial evaluation of tinnitus, but granted an increased rating to 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings, service connection, and TDIU. The anxiety disorder was rated at 30 percent, PTSD was not established as a separate condition, arteriosclerotic heart disease was not related to service, tinnitus was not diagnosed, and there were no new and material evidence found for the claim of migraine headaches. The veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder did not preclude him from performing substantially gainful employment.

The veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for idiopathic thrombocytic purpura from June 30, 1999, through July 7, 2005, and to an initial compensable rating from January 20, 2006, is denied. The veteran's claim for a higher rating for tinnitus is also denied.

The veteran's service-connected tinnitus has been assigned the maximum schedular rating available, and an increased evaluation is denied.

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.

The veteran's tinnitus disability is already rated at the maximum allowed under VA rating criteria, and no separate ratings for each ear are warranted.

The veteran's service-connected tinnitus is assigned a 10 percent rating, the maximum rating authorized under Diagnostic Code (DC) 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 tinnitus is a result of noise exposure during service, and granted service connection for this condition.