Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2009

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a supplemental opinion from the VA physician regarding the Veteran's employability due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran is found to be unemployable due to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for knee disorder, sinusitis, and tinnitus. The claim for an initial compensable rating for low back pain with sciatica was also denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right hip cellulitis, pulmonary tuberculosis, tinnitus, and a low back disorder. The claim for cognitive disorder was not addressed as it is related to an issue not involving service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not related to his military service and have denied all of his claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to the character of the claimant's discharge and new evidence for reopening claims. The appeal is now in a pending status.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnoses of hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, including noise exposure during active duty. As such, service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted as the evidence does not preponderate against his claim that he incurred tinnitus during service.

The Veteran's service-connected tinnitus is properly evaluated as 10 percent disabling, and a rating in excess of this has been denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as his claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of right elbow fracture with scar, have been denied. The Board found no current evidence of a bilateral hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes and concluded that the Veteran's tinnitus is not service-connected.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and chronic tinnitus. After considering all of the evidence, including VA and private audiometric examinations and treatment reports, medical articles and treatises, and statements from the Veteran's private physician and audiologist, the Board finds that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of an injury to his nose (claimed as a deviated nasal septum) and tinnitus was denied. The Board found no evidence of current disabilities related to the claimed injuries.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a bilateral eye disorder due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated during active service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus were not incurred in service, as his pre-existing hearing loss was demonstrated prior to entrance into service. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's claims for psychiatric disorder, lumbar spine disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, inguinal hernias, Achilles tendonitis of the right foot, plantar fasciitis of the left foot, thoracic spine condition, erectile dysfunction, bilateral knee condition, and skin condition (psoriasis, warts, abscesses, cysts) have been reopened. Service connection has not been established for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including VA examinations to determine the etiology of his tinnitus and left knee condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, and thus denied both claims.

Service connection for tinnitus is granted.,Service connection for right leg and left leg disabilities are denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, and the Board finds that they are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his military service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.