Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2010

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment, leading to a TDIU being granted.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's reports of in-service noise exposure are consistent with his combat service and credible. The Veteran currently meets all elements required for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as there was no evidence of current disabilities or a relationship to service.

The Veteran's tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by his military service, and the Board denied his claim 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 medical examination and development of records.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's in-service noise exposure is at least as likely as not related to his current bilateral tinnitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's tinnitus was not related to his active military service, and his hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and for burial benefits, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his tinnitus and service, and that he did not have qualifying active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability, bilateral defective hearing, and tinnitus were denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and therefore, service connection for bilateral defective hearing is denied. The claim of service connection for tinnitus was also denied as there is no competent evidence showing that the Veteran currently has tinnitus or that any such condition is related to service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran meets the schedular requirements for a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities and is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as a result of these disabilities.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus and granted it, finding that there is an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence as to whether the Veteran's current tinnitus began during service.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal as to the issues of service connection for tinnitus, tympanosclerosis, spleen enlargement, and hepatic tenderness due to withdrawal by the Veteran. The claim for hypertension was denied as it is not shown to be related to service.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for tinnitus, which he claims was caused by noise exposure during his military service. The VA has requested additional evidence and a medical examination to determine if the tinnitus is related to his service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment, and therefore he is not entitled to a TDIU.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions did not originate during his military service or until decades after discharge.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, and hypertension have been granted. The decision is based on direct evidence rather than any presumption or secondary theory.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, with the opinion being against these claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations. The issues of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen claims for service connection for a low back disorder, an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, and a neck disorder remain pending.