Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2010

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to the need for additional development and consideration of his TDIU claim.

The Board has determined that the effective dates for the awards of compensable ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus cannot be earlier than February 4, 2004 and February 4, 2003 respectively.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is not related to his service, and therefore denied the claim for service connection. The case of bilateral hearing loss remains pending.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as the disability does not present an exceptional or unusual disability picture.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied, but his claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus was not incurred or aggravated in service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss. The decision found that there was no nexus between the current disabilities and his military service, with the exception of a brief episode of tinnitus in 1985. The evidence received since the July 1992 rating decision did not relate to the unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim for bilateral hearing loss.

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

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his military service.,An effective date of December 29, 2004 is granted for the award of service connection for PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if his current tinnitus is related to his period of active service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Travel Board hearing at the RO in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted. The Board found that the current disabilities are at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board found that the Veteran's current tinnitus is causally related to his military service, and thus granted service connection for tinnitus.

The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise in demonstrating that the Veteran experienced recurrent tinnitus during active service and to have continued chronically post-service, warranting service connection for bilateral tinnitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and chronic tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine if the appellant's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, as his claims have insufficient evidence to decide.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is etiologically related to active service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA addendum opinion to determine if his tinnitus is related to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.