Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2010

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for tinnitus must be denied as there is no legal basis upon which to award a higher rating. The Veteran's last VA examination for hearing loss was in January 2007, and he has requested a new VA examination.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus, prostate problems, and bilateral hearing loss were denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current prostate disability and that his hearing loss was not manifested during service or within one year thereafter.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical opinions and records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service, including exposure to noise during military training and duties.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, thus denying his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service acoustic trauma, resulting in a grant of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's request for a video conference hearing. The claims of right ear hearing loss and tinnitus remain on appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active service, as there is no evidence of such conditions during or immediately following service. The claim for service connection is therefore denied.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which he attributes to noise exposure during his military service. The claims are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran has sufficient hearing loss to be considered an actual disability by VA standards and whether his current hearing loss and tinnitus are attributable to acoustic trauma during or coincident with his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU and are not shown to be unable to obtain and retain substantially gainful employment due solely to service-connected disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss was not caused by his military service and denied his claim for service connection. The decision also noted that there is no indication of tinnitus in the Veteran's service records, leading to a denial on this issue as well.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have hearing loss or tinnitus that is related to his military service and therefore denied both claims.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions, including whether they are related to his military service or if any aggravation occurred during active duty.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's exposure to acoustic trauma during his active duty.

The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for service-connected residuals of trauma, thoracic spine with fractured ID thoracic vertebral bodies was denied. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were also denied as not related to active service or service-connected conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen these previously denied claims.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA records and scheduling examinations to address the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, while his low back disability and sleep disorder do not have a direct link to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions. The Board also found that the Veteran did not have a current disability due to his active duty service.

The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's current tinnitus and his service, including noise exposure. The claim for service connection was denied.