Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2009

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA neurological examination to determine if the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his service-connected posttraumatic headaches or head injury in service.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability or aggravation during service. The Veteran was granted service connection for tinnitus based on his credible statements about exposure to noise in service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no competent evidence linking these conditions to service or any in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be etiologically related to active duty, and service connection for this condition is granted. The issue of bilateral hearing loss disability remains pending as the VA examiner concluded it was less likely than not caused by or a result of military noise exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's ringing in his ears began during service and continues to this day.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to medication prescribed for a service-connected disability. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied due to lack of evidence showing a chronic or permanent worsening during service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain medical records and provide a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active service, including any in-service noise exposure. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including a new VA examination and consideration of private treatment records.

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus in service and concluded that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Travel Board hearing at the Buffalo, New York RO.

The Board found that the Veteran's defective hearing and tinnitus were not incurred in service, as there was no evidence of a current disability meeting VA criteria for hearing loss or tinnitus. The Board also noted that the Veteran had been exposed to loud noises during service but did not have a compensable level of hearing loss at separation.

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

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus) do not meet the criteria for a TDIU rating as his combined disability rating is only 60 percent. The Board finds that he is not unemployable due to these conditions alone.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a TDIU rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran after the last Statement of the Case (SOC). The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the etiology of his hearing loss and tinnitus.

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