Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2010

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected tinnitus and a compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of noise exposure during service. Service connection was also denied for colon cancer, as the condition did not manifest within one year after discharge and is not linked to service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate examination findings, incomplete reasoning in a previous VA opinion, and missing records. The Veteran will need to undergo another VA examination and provide any additional medical evidence.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance is being remanded due to incomplete information from VA examinations.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, with the most competent evidence supporting this conclusion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the unavailability of his service records, but evidence suggests he was exposed to noise during service. A VA examination is needed to determine if his current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to this exposure.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by active service, as there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure and the conditions have not been shown to be related to service.

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

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's disabilities were aggravated by service. The claim for service connection for vertigo is remanded due to a lack of examination addressing this issue. The PTSD claim is also remanded as it may be related to other psychiatric disorders.

The Board found that the Veteran's current tinnitus disability is not related to his service, specifically due to a significant gap of over 25 years between his separation from service and the first documented post-service treatment for tinnitus.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not related to his active service, as there was no evidence of such conditions during or within one year after service. The VA examiner opined that it is not likely that either condition is related to active duty.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a bilateral knee disability. The Board finds that additional development is necessary due to conflicting evidence of record regarding the onset of his disabilities.

The Board finds that the appellant has not met the criteria for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as his audiometric testing did not meet the minimum requirements under VA regulations. However, the Board grants service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to military noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a new VA examination to address service connection claims for tinnitus and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine the etiology of any current hearing loss and tinnitus.

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

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete service treatment records and need for further examinations.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, including due to in-service noise exposure. The VA medical examination indicated that the current disabilities are less likely than not related to military service.

The Board finds that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, but further development is required. The Veteran's current diagnoses of sinus disorder, tinnitus, right hand injury, and cystitis are not supported by the medical evidence on file.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development due to the need for a VA examination to assess his current hearing loss, tinnitus, and right knee disability.