Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2010

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus for VA purposes, and thus cannot establish service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's tinnitus and psychiatric disability were not found to be related to service, leading to a denial of the claims. The Veteran does not have any other service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a current disability. The claims for service connection have been denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claims of service connection for left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Veteran's current hearing loss disabilities are not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that additional development is required due to insufficient opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's tinnitus and his service-connected hearing loss.

Your appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a videoconference hearing before a member of the Board at the North Little Rock, Arkansas, VA RO.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is service-connected based on a confirmed in-service stressor and continuity of symptomatology. The other issues are addressed below.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and SSA disability benefits records. A VA examination will be conducted to determine if the Veteran is unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not arise in service, are not related to any incident in service, and are less likely due to noise exposure. The claims for service connection were therefore denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a back disorder (secondary to left knee disorder), and a right hip disorder (secondary to left knee disorder).

The Veteran's service-connected tinnitus is assigned a 10 percent evaluation, the maximum authorized under Diagnostic Code 6260. There is no legal basis for an increased rating.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are both found to be related to his active duty service.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus and acquired psychiatric disorder were not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The claims for bilateral plantar fasciitis were denied as new and material evidence was not received to reopen them.

The Veteran's tinnitus was caused or aggravated by his active military service and the Board granted his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that there is no new and material evidence to reopen the claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss. The August 2000 rating decision, which denied these claims on the merits, remains final.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an adequate VA examination for the Veteran's claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as the current evidence is inadequate.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for tinnitus, finding that there was no credible evidence linking his current tinnitus to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and denied his claim. The tinnitus issue is also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to his military noise exposure, granting service connection for these conditions.