Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2010

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in the VA examiner's opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions, which are believed to be related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical opinions and records to determine if the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new evidence supports these claims. The Board also granted service connection for both conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary for the Veteran's claims, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, as well as an evaluation of whether he is unemployable due to service-connected PTSD. The case will be held in abeyance pending further action.

The Board finds that the evidence is in relative equipoise, with all reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran. The preponderance of the evidence supports a finding that the Veteran's current tinnitus is related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for gout, polyuria, and tinnitus. The claim for an initial compensable evaluation for his left little finger laceration was also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and heart disease, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's service-connected tinnitus is already rated at the maximum allowed under Diagnostic Code 6260, which means no higher rating can be granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may they be presumed to have been so incurred.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes and there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or continuity of symptomatology. The Veteran's tinnitus was also not related to service, as his symptoms began after discharge and he did not seek treatment until nearly 40 years later.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted, and his Crohn's disease evaluation remains unchanged.

The Board has granted service connection for scars from shrapnel wounds to the back, finding that they were incurred during military service. The right shoulder, stomach, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which he claims are related to noise exposure during military service. The VA examinations conducted thus far have not adequately addressed the Veteran's lay assertions regarding his symptoms since separation from service.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss did not have onset during active service, were not etiologically related to his active service, and therefore denied both claims.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are likely related to his military service, with current evidence supporting this conclusion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left undescended testicle, hearing loss, and tinnitus have been denied as new and material evidence has not been presented to reopen the claim for a left undescended testicle. The Board also found that there is no competent medical evidence showing current diagnoses of hearing loss or tinnitus related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his ability to walk unaided.

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