Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board denied the veteran's claim for separate 10 percent ratings for bilateral tinnitus, finding that only a single 10 percent rating is authorized under current regulations.

The veteran's claims for hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The veteran's tinnitus is rated at a maximum of 10 percent from August 6, 1998 to June 9, 1999. From June 10, 1999, the veteran is granted a separate 10 percent evaluation for bilateral tinnitus.

The Board denied a compensable evaluation for the appellant's bilateral hearing loss disability and denied entitlement to a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and arranging a VA audiological examination to determine if the veteran currently has hearing loss and/or tinnitus related to service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for a videoconference hearing at the RO in Washington, DC. The case will be processed according to established procedures.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The RO assigned noncompensable evaluations to all three conditions.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disorder, skin rash, hearing loss, and tinnitus as secondary to or aggravated by PTSD. The claim of service connection for arthritis in the left shoulder is also denied.

The Board found that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the veteran's claims for hearing loss and tinnitus, as no such evidence was provided since the May 1998 denial. The decision is mixed because both issues were denied on the merits.

The Board finds that the veteran's tinnitus is rated at a maximum of 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 6260, which precludes separate ratings for bilateral tinnitus. Therefore, the claim for separate compensable evaluations for each ear for tinnitus is denied.

The VA has determined that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus do not warrant a compensable evaluation, with the exception of his existing 10% rating for tinnitus. The Board found no basis to grant additional ratings for either condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder, residuals of cold injury to bilateral upper and lower extremities, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The decision states that the earliest possible effective date is August 21, 2001.

The veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for right shoulder impingement syndrome, left knee ligament laxity, and arthritis of the left knee with chondromalacia were denied. The claim for service connection for bilateral tinnitus was also denied.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to have begun during his active military service and is granted service connection. Tinnitus was not shown in service or related to service, thus denial of service connection.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is as likely the result of noise exposure in service or a symptom of his service-connected hearing loss.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation in excess of 10 percent for bilateral tinnitus has been denied as the maximum schedular rating is already assigned.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation in excess of 10 percent for bilateral tinnitus has been denied as the maximum schedular rating is already assigned.

The Board has determined that the appellant's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not attributable to his period of active military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and pain are residuals of a left ear injury sustained during service. The evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to the in-service injury.