Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2009

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to noise exposure during service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have been incurred in service and is related to his military noise exposure. The appeal for polycythemia vera was withdrawn by the Veteran's representative.

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

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus is not related to service and denied his claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and the Board finds that his TDIU claim is granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The VA determined that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus and service connection for hypertension, tinnitus, and a skin disability. The decision also addressed his claim of service connection for a bilateral foot condition which was granted in a separate rating decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted. The decision is based on direct service connection, as there was no evidence of a pre-existing condition or clear and unmistakable aggravation during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and an increased rating for his gunshot wound residuals were denied. The claim to reopen the bilateral hearing loss disability was also denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be etiologically due to his military service, as evidenced by VA audiometric test results showing at least three auditory thresholds of 26 decibels or higher at designated frequencies and speech recognition scores less than 94 percent. Tinnitus was also found to be related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is attributable to service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus. The claims for service connection for PTSD and an eye disability were not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for tinnitus, recurrent episodes of otitis externa, PTSD, and bilateral hearing loss were denied. The maximum schedular rating of 10 percent is the highest available under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to determine if he meets the criteria for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability resulting from service-connected disabilities and whether referral to the appropriate department officials under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b) for extraschedular consideration is warranted.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and has reopened the claim of service connection for PTSD, finding new and material evidence. However, it has not determined whether the Veteran's claimed in-service stressors actually occurred.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of current disabilities or a link to active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not manifest in service or within one year thereafter, and there is no evidence of continuity of symptomatology. Therefore, service connection for these conditions cannot be established.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active military service, leading to a grant of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated during service, nor are they related to any in-service noise exposure. As such, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inconsistencies in the Veteran's statements regarding the onset of his hearing loss and tinnitus.