Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2010

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of a current disability meeting VA compensation criteria or any link to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the statutory presumption of soundness on enlistment had been rebutted by clear and unmistakable evidence of a pre-existing bilateral hearing loss disability. The Board also found no increase in severity during active duty service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a total disability rating for compensation purposes.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his military service. Service connection for a psychiatric disability was denied as it is not supported by the evidence of record.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise, suggesting that the Veteran's tinnitus manifested during or as a result of his active military service. The Veteran is therefore entitled to service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's right ankle disorder is service connected. His bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service connected.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no competent evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for tinnitus. The Veteran was granted service connection for tinnitus, but the claim was denied as it was not related to active service.

The Veteran's combined disability rating meets the threshold for a TDIU, and his service-connected disabilities render him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment. The claim for residuals of a CVA is dismissed.

The Board has determined that the submitted evidence does not relate to the unestablished facts necessary to substantiate the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, and thus does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating such claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected conditions, and therefore denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the appellant's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The AMC must obtain and associate any missing treatment records with the appellant's claims file, provide him with a new VA medical opinion to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities, and then readjudicate the claims.

The Veteran is not obligated to pay the $67,766 disability compensation debt as it was improperly created and invalid.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss has been denied. The maximum schedular rating available for tinnitus is 10 percent, which the Veteran already receives. For bilateral hearing loss, the current 20 percent rating is also the highest allowed under VA guidelines.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence linking his current hearing loss to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need to verify his periods of Active Duty Reserve (ACDUTRA) and Inactive Duty Reserve (INACDUTRA). He must establish that he was disabled from an injury or disease incurred during these periods in order to be eligible for compensation.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are likely due to noise exposure during his period of active service.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an updated VA examination for the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus claims, as well as to address whether these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have been shown to render him unemployable, and the Board grants his claim for TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current tinnitus is related to noise exposure during his military service. The decision on bilateral hearing loss remains pending as further development is required.