Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2008

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to assess the current status of the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as their relationship to service. The veteran will be provided another opportunity to respond to this request for information.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus is secondary to his service-connected hearing loss, and thus grants the claim for service connection.

The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death was not related to his service-connected PTSD, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus during service, and the medical evidence does not show a relationship between current hearing loss and tinnitus and active duty. The veteran's claims for service connection were denied.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO.

The Board has decided that the veteran's claims for hearing loss and tinnitus should be remanded due to a lack of medical nexus evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and found that the veteran's current tinnitus is causally connected to his in-service noise exposure. The issue of an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss remains pending.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but granted service connection for PTSD with a 30 percent initial disability evaluation effective from June 23, 2004. The case is REMANDED to obtain additional VA medical records.

The Board dismissed the veteran's appeal as to both tinnitus and a psychiatric disorder due to their death.

The veteran is granted TDIU prior to October 31, 2006 due to service-connected disabilities. The issue of TDIU as of October 31, 2006, has been rendered moot.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service medical records and further development is needed.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that both conditions are attributable to noise exposure during the veteran's active duty.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and therefore cannot establish service connection for this condition. The VA examiner found no evidence linking his hearing loss and tinnitus to military service, concluding that these conditions are not related to his time in active duty.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities (chronic low back pain syndrome, major depression, and tinnitus) render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board issuing a decision.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to noise exposure during service, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The claim for tinnitus remains pending as further examination and opinion are needed.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and considering the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service acoustic trauma.,Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable evaluation. The issue of an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Board found that the preponderance of evidence is against a finding that the veteran currently suffers from bilateral tinnitus that is the result of a disease or injury during active duty service.