Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2010

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical examination and the Veteran's request for a Travel Board hearing.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have not prevented him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment over the entire rating period considered.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that there is no medical nexus between his current conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that a new examination is necessary to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as whether these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are related to his active service, including exposure to noise during combat in Vietnam. As a result, the appeal for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus were denied as there was no evidence of a nexus to service, with the preponderance of the evidence showing that these conditions did not manifest during or within one year after service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, bronchial asthma, bronchitis, shin splints of the right leg, shin splints of the left leg, migraine headaches, and a skin condition due to lack of evidence supporting these conditions during his active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining treatment records from Dr. Wolfe and scheduling a VA audiometric examination to assess the nature and etiology of his claimed hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of arthritis of the ankles, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, or residuals of an injury to the right index finger that is related to his military service. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service injury or chronic symptomatology.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and left ear hearing loss, finding that these conditions are related to military service. The right ear hearing loss claim is denied as there is no current diagnosis of a hearing disability in the right ear for VA purposes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, chronic tinnitus, and chronic vertigo did not have their origin during his period of active military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities combine to an 80% rating, but the Board finds that they do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of marked interference with employment status or hospitalization due to these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of hearing impairment meeting VA criteria or a nexus to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis was denied as there is no current evidence of a disability related to the condition in service. The claims for PTSD and tinnitus are remanded due to the need for medical examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for tinnitus as there was no new and material evidence received since the last denial in January 2003.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development, including a VA audiological and otological examination to determine the etiology of his hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board dismissed the motion seeking review of its November 2006 decision denying an initial compensable evaluation for service-connected bilateral tinnitus, as the motion has been withdrawn.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a skin disorder, and nail fungus. The VA examiner found no evidence of current disabilities meeting VA criteria for hearing loss or tinnitus, and opined that any current tinnitus is not related to military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not related to his service, with conflicting medical evidence suggesting different outcomes.