Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2010

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to issues related to PTSD, tinnitus, and chronic liver disease due to hepatitis C.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of hearing loss and tinnitus is being remanded due to the need to adjudicate a potential clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in a previous rating decision.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and will now consider the issue of a total rating based on unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected as they are related to his in-service exposure to acoustic trauma.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran. The decision grants service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome with mitral valve prolapse. The appeals were based on a lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board found no competent or credible evidence linking the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss and tinnitus to service, including within one year of discharge. Therefore, service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Veteran seeks service connection for tinnitus, which he claims developed in service due to noise exposure. The Board finds the April 2007 VA examination inadequate and remands the case for a new examination.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, and therefore denied both claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence, including records from his treatment at Barnes Hospital in 1972.

The Veteran does not have hearing loss or tinnitus that was caused or aggravated by his service. His claims for service connection are denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are attributable to service, warranting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. After reviewing all evidence, including VA and private medical records, the Board finds that there is sufficient evidence to establish a link between the Veteran's current hearing loss and his military service. The Veteran served in an active duty role as a medical specialist and legal clerk, which may have exposed him to noise during his time in the Army. However, the evidence does not show any specific incidents of acoustic trauma or treatment for hearing issues during service. As such, the Board concludes that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and referring the case to the Chief Benefits Director of VA's Compensation and Pension Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a current hearing loss disability and tinnitus, and thus denied service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral tinnitus is denied as the maximum schedular rating of 10% has already been assigned.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not causally related to his active service, as there is no evidence of such conditions during or immediately following service. The Board also noted that the Veteran did not raise a claim for these disabilities until many years after separation from service.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.