Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for right ear hearing loss and service connection for tinnitus. The claim for schizophrenia was also denied, but with a remand to consider whether an extraschedular rating is warranted.

The Board has determined that the appellant currently has bilateral tinnitus which is most likely the result of combined noise exposure both in service and from his civilian, post-service occupation as a machinist. Therefore, the claim for service connection for tinnitus due to acoustic trauma in service is granted.

The Board has ordered the RO to obtain VA treatment records and provide the veteran with an opportunity to submit additional evidence in support of his claims. The case will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Board found that the veteran's claims for otitis media, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were not well grounded due to lack of competent medical evidence of current disabilities.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for loss of bladder and bowel control are not well grounded as there is no evidence showing a current disability related to service or service-connected low back disability. The claim for residuals of injury to the head, including scarring, is also not well grounded due to lack of credible evidence of such an injury during service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as his claim for an increased rating for PTSD. The decision also noted that there was no current examination regarding the veteran's service connected residuals of hepatitis.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection are well-grounded and have been granted. The veteran is found to have current disabilities including bilateral defective hearing, tinnitus, low back pain, and dermatitis, all of which were incurred in service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, residuals of a laceration to the right forearm, and hearing loss due to lack of evidence supporting these claims. The claim for hearing loss is well-grounded but requires further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for verification of periods of active duty training and inactive duty training, as well as additional medical records. The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral defective hearing and tinnitus are pending.

The Board dismissed the motion seeking to review a final decision involving clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in their August 2, 1994 decision.

The Board found that the veteran's claims for service connection for nerve deafness, tinnitus, and vertigo are not well grounded due to a lack of competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his period of active duty.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 10% evaluation for service-connected tinnitus is granted, with the effective date set at February 9, 1995.

The veteran's appeal is granted for increased ratings in several areas, including his left radial nerve disability and various wounds from service. However, the rating decision of June 12, 1946 involving these disabilities was found to have involved CUE.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are well-grounded, and the appeal is granted to this extent.

The Board has granted service connection for a neck disorder and assigned an initial compensable evaluation of 10 percent for tinea pedis, versicolor, and tinnitus. The veteran's conditions are found to be related to his military service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities were denied. The veteran was granted separate 10 percent ratings for tinnitus and the chin scar, as residuals of shrapnel wounds.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in the January 1977 and February 1992 rating decisions, as well as his requests for earlier effective dates for service connection. The RO correctly considered all available evidence at the time and applied the relevant laws and regulations.

The veteran's service-connected tinnitus is currently rated at 10 percent, the maximum schedular rating. The RO found no evidence of an exceptional disability picture that would warrant extra-schedular consideration.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a current disability for headaches, eye disorder, or tinnitus. The veteran's right hip condition was not established as service-connected.

The veteran's appeal for increased ratings and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation or for a total disability rating.