Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2009

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the nature, extent, onset and etiology of any bilateral hearing loss and/or tinnitus found to be present. The Veteran's claims for service connection will then be readjudicated.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine the nature, extent, and etiology of his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus symptomatology.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a compensable degree of hearing loss within one year post-service. The preponderance of the evidence supports the conclusion that these conditions are due to occupational noise exposure after service.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for tinnitus, hearing loss disability, and low back disability. The decision also noted that new and material evidence had not been presented to reopen these claims.

The Veteran's claim for separate 10 percent ratings for tinnitus of each ear is denied as the maximum schedular evaluation has already been assigned.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the etiology of hearing loss, tinnitus, and a back disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active duty service, and thus denied both claims.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unemployable, as he is capable of performing the physical and mental acts required by employment.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.

The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to service for bilateral tinnitus and denied the claim. For bursitis in the left shoulder, the Board noted that while there was some history of treatment during service, the first documented complaint occurred years after discharge, and the VA examiner opined that the current condition is less likely due to noise exposure in service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that exposure to noise during service is related to these conditions. The claim for PTSD was denied due to insufficient evidence of a combat-related stressor.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that there is no competent medical evidence linking the current disability to his period of active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and bilateral hearing loss, are considered in determining whether he is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining a VA audiologist's opinion on the relationship between his service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating, including a review by the Under Secretary for Benefits regarding exposure to ionizing radiation. The Veteran will also need to be afforded VA examinations to assess his tinnitus and left ear hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are of service origin, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's currently diagnosed tinnitus is not related to military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found no competent evidence to show that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service, either as the direct result of his military service or as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus and hypertensive cardiovascular disease.