Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2004

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The veteran's claims for PTSD, headaches, diarrhea, fatigue, and left foot numbness are all granted. The claim for varicose veins of the legs is denied as not meeting the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing service medical records and incomplete examination reports. The veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are being evaluated for potential service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to assess the current severity of the appellant's service-connected tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss conditions. The claim will be reconsidered in light of any additional evidence received.

The Board has determined that the veteran was unemployable due to service-connected disabilities as of August 2, 2001 and granted a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability with an effective date of August 2, 2001.

The Board is remanding the case due to new evidence submitted by the veteran, and a request for an examination has been made.

The veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to unclear determination of the cause of his unemployability and need for further development.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and a skin disorder. The conditions were not shown to be related to active duty.

The veteran's tinnitus was first manifested in service and is considered to be the result of disease or injury incurred therein. Service connection for tinnitus has been granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran incurred sensorineural hearing loss in the right ear during service and also developed tinnitus, granting entitlement to service connection for both conditions.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims of service connection for tinnitus, vertigo, and myofascial pain due to a lack of current disability evidence. The case is returned to the RO for further action.

The Board found that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may they be presumed to have been incurred therein. The evidence did not support a causal relationship between his current conditions and any incident of service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a VA audiological examination to determine the nature and origin of his hearing loss and tinnitus.

The veteran's death was not service-connected, but he had been continuously rated as totally disabled for a period of at least ten years immediately preceding his death. As such, DIC benefits were denied.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus render him unemployable, and the Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board found that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or related to his military service, as there was no evidence of defective hearing during service or for many years after service. The VA examiners concluded that the current hearing loss is more likely due to noise exposure from a small machine shop post-service.

The veteran's claim for a compensable disability evaluation under 38 C.F.R. § 3.324 was denied as no basis exists for assignment of such based on multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral defective hearing and tinnitus are directly related to his military service, specifically exposure to excessive acoustic trauma during his time in Vietnam. The evidence supports this conclusion.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, eye disorder including glaucoma, lung disorder, and a disorder of the left hip or side. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by military service.