Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2010

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including cold weather injuries and bilateral hearing loss, prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is service-connected, and as such, his claim for tinnitus secondary to this condition is also granted.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records and an examination to assess the combined effects of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding the relationship between service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, requiring further clarification from the examiner.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected due to noise exposure during his military service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's tinnitus began during service and has persisted since then, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding his employability due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are at least as likely as not related to in-service acoustic trauma.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, back injury, tinnitus, tension headaches, and swelling of legs, ankles, and feet. The evidence submitted did not meet the criteria to reopen any previously denied claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by active service, nor may they be presumed to have developed due to exposure to noise during service. The evidence did not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's tinnitus was first manifested in service and is considered to have resulted from acoustic trauma. The remaining issues of left Achilles/leg pain disability, left forearm disability, costochondritis, and abdominal pain from hernia are not addressed as the RO has been directed to schedule the Veteran for further VA examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus. The Veteran did not have these conditions during service or within one year of separation, and there was no evidence linking them to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need to obtain his service treatment records from his active duty in Germany, Texas Army National Guard, and Navy Reserve. The VA will attempt to locate these records and provide a supplemental statement of the case if necessary.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that it was incurred in active service. The issue of service connection for a bilateral foot/ankle disorder is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has reopened the previously denied claim of service connection for residuals of a back injury and granted it. The Veteran's tinnitus is associated with exposure to excessive noise during active duty, and his PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for Type II Diabetes Mellitus, Tinnitus, and Colon Resection Due to Diverticulitis were denied as they are not related to his active military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no current disability or in-service disease/injury related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability. The Board finds that the Veteran was exposed to acoustic trauma during his military service but does not meet the criteria for VA-compliant hearing loss or tinnitus.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus is not related to his service due to lack of in-service diagnosis and no evidence of tinnitus until after discharge. The claim for PTSD was remanded as there were conflicting medical opinions.

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus in service, and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection as there was not a showing of continuity of symptomatology within one year after service. The Board also noted that any current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not related to service.