Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to noise exposure during active military service, leading to a grant of service connection for these conditions.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the August 1977 rating decision that assigned a noncompensable evaluation for tinnitus.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a current disability related to residuals of a left ankle sprain. The evidence supports service connection for bilateral hearing loss, but tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The veteran has withdrawn all appeals for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD.

The Board determined that new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for tinnitus. The veteran's tinnitus was not incurred or aggravated during active duty, thus denying this claim. For PTSD, the Board found no verified inservice stressor attributed to the veteran's service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding it likely related to noise exposure during service. The initial evaluation for a perforated right eardrum remains denied.

The Board granted a compensable disability rating of 10 percent for tinnitus, but denied the claim for hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, with noise exposure in service being considered as a contributing factor.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and left ear hearing loss, and is now evaluating both conditions together. The veteran's right ear hearing loss remains at issue but will be evaluated in conjunction with the other issues.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for pharyngitis, labyrinthitis (also claimed as vertigo, tinnitus and an ear disorder), dorsolumbar paravertebral myositis, and dysthymic disorder. The decision is final due to lack of new and material evidence.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities (bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus) do not meet the criteria for a total rating based on unemployability due to service-connected disabilities as his combined disability rating is less than 70%.

The Board finds that an effective date earlier than October 27, 1998 for the award of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is not warranted. The veteran's informal claim was received by the RO on October 27, 1998, and no earlier dated correspondence or statements were received indicating an intent to file or reopen a claim for this benefit.

The Board has granted a 50% rating for the veteran's headache disorder and increased his disability rating to 30%. The claim of an increased rating for tinnitus is also granted, with a separate 10% evaluation effective June 10, 1999. However, the veteran does not have a compensable evaluation prior to that date.

The Board finds that the veteran's right ear hearing loss is related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition. The tinnitus claim is denied as there is no evidence linking it to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to noise exposure during active duty for training in 1978, and service connection is granted.

The Board found that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may sensorineural hearing loss be presumed to have been so incurred. The RO denied entitlement to service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, with the cause of these conditions attributed to noise exposure during his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than January 21, 1992, for the grant of service connection for tinnitus. The veteran argued that he should have received this benefit as early as his discharge from service in 1972, but there was no evidence showing a claim for tinnitus prior to January 21, 1992.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not service-related, granting service connection for both conditions.