Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2008

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for tinnitus and remanded it for further development.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for specially adapted housing due to his service-connected disabilities, which effectively preclude locomotion without assistive devices. The issue of a special home adaptation grant is dismissed as moot.

The Board has determined that there is no legal basis for assigning a rating in excess of the current 10 percent evaluation for bilateral tinnitus and noncompensable evaluation for perforations of the left eardrum, as these conditions are already rated at their maximum under applicable VA regulations.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the veteran's symptoms began in service and have persisted since. Service connection was denied for an unspecified ear condition due to a lack of current disability evidence.

The veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there was no evidence of a claim prior to May 11, 2005.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus is not directly related to service, but it is proximately due to his already service-connected hearing loss. Therefore, service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, as there is no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after service. The VA examiner found it less likely than not that the current hearing loss and tinnitus were caused by noise exposure in service.

The Board has determined that further development is needed before the case can be decided.

The veteran is service connected for several conditions and meets the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but further development is needed to determine if he currently has a disability as defined by VA standards. The opinions provided are not based on review of the claims file.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute substantially to his death. The VA examiner concluded that PTSD, while contributing to some of the veteran's underlying medical problems, was unlikely to have caused or contributed to the development of congestive heart failure and ischemic myocardium.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding no medical evidence or opinion suggesting a nexus between current tinnitus and service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that none of them were incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Board has granted service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, hearing loss, and tinnitus based on presumptive exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The veteran's current conditions are deemed related to his military service.

The veteran's tinnitus is found to be incurred during his military service due to constant noise exposure, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of in-service incurrence or continuity of symptomatology and concluding that the veteran's current tinnitus is not related to his active duty.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding the relationship between service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, requiring further clarification from the examiner.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by his military service. The veteran had pre-existing hearing loss in his left ear prior to entering service, which did not worsen during service. His right ear hearing loss was within normal limits at discharge.