Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2007

The Board has determined that the veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to active service, while his postoperative residuals of lumbosacral spondylosis, right knee disability, and left knee disability may be linked to service. The claims for these conditions remain denied.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for traumatic arthritis, residual of a left ankle fracture, is pending.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a current hearing impairment as defined by VA regulations, and there is no medical evidence linking his tinnitus or ear infections to service. Therefore, service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed, including VA outpatient treatment records for hearing loss and tinnitus. The veteran's claims of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for further development.

The Board denied the veteran's appeal regarding the propriety of severing service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as his claim for nonservice-connected pension. The decision found that the evidence did not support severance of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has granted a total disability rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability due to the veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbar disc disease with right side sciatica and diabetes mellitus. The veteran is precluded from obtaining and maintaining any form of gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities (bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus) do not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and industrial background, as the VA audiologist found that they would not interfere with his ability to maintain employment.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and appellate adjudication due to new evidence submitted by the veteran.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the veteran is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence submitted by the veteran and the need for updated VA examinations. The tinnitus claim is also being reviewed.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to exposure to acoustic trauma in service, and therefore grants service connection for these conditions. The claim for residuals of a head injury is remanded for further examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for kidney cancer, right knee disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, post traumatic stress disorder were all granted. The veteran was also awarded a TDIU rating based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus; PTSD; bilateral hearing loss; and tinnitus. The evidence did not establish a link between any of these conditions and active service.

The veteran's PTSD was caused by his active military service from March 1988 to February 1992, and he has been granted service connection for this condition. However, the veteran does not have diagnosed bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as an increased rating for post-traumatic stress disorder with secondary alcohol abuse and major depressive disorder. The VA examiner found that the current conditions were not related to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active military service, and thus denied his claims.

The veteran's claim for a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is being remanded for additional development of his medical records and examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus did not manifest during service and is unlikely to be related to military noise exposure. As a result, the claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied.