Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2010

The Board denied all service connection claims, finding that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The respiratory condition and psychiatric conditions are addressed separately as they may be related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and attempting to obtain OSHA records. The AOJ will then review the case and readjudicate it.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran currently has hearing loss and tinnitus, which are service-connected.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus. The appellant's claims will be re-adjudicated after a new VA examination is conducted.

The Board has remanded the case due to failure to afford a VA examination for the Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral knee disability claims. The RO is instructed to attempt to schedule these examinations, either at a correctional facility or by sending an examiner there.

The Board has remanded the case due to additional development being necessary, including obtaining medical records and providing a VA medical opinion regarding the Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, tinnitus, and malaria, are of such severity as to render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that the criteria for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities have been met.

The Veteran was not rated as totally disabled at any time prior to his death, and therefore does not meet the minimum requirements for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The May 2004 rating decision denying service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus is final. New evidence received since then does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service, and he has a current diagnosis of migraine headaches due to head trauma. The status for the bilateral knee disorder and acquired psychiatric disorder remains unknown.

The Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The claims for irritable bowel syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome are remanded as they may be related to undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the Board is dismissing the case.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus is not related to his military service and denied both his claim for service connection for tinnitus and his request for an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, hearing loss, and tinnitus were granted with an effective date of December 5, 2006.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for eczematoid dermatitis and service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for either disability, as there was no credible evidence linking them to active military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus were less likely than not related to in-service noise exposure, as he had normal hearing upon service discharge. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's tinnitus was not shown to be related to his service, and the Board denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's tinnitus and left ankle/leg conditions, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to service, with the onset occurring during or shortly after his military service.