Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2010

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disorder and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than July 10, 2006 for service connection of vertigo, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The claim for PTSD was denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of current disabilities or a relationship to service.

The Veteran's service-connected hearing loss, depression, and tinnitus are considered in determining whether he is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's death and addressing the appellant's accrued benefits claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is as likely as not caused by noise exposure during his active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service exposure to acoustic trauma. The disorders were not incurred due to a disease or injury during active duty.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and reopened the claims for bilateral hearing loss and blurred vision in both eyes (claimed as pterygium). The Veteran's current symptoms are considered to be related to his military service.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which he contends are related to noise exposure during his military service. The case has been remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining service records from the Army National Guard and Army Reserves, as well as a VA audiological evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of such conditions during or within one year after service. The claim for service connection is therefore denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, as there is no evidence of continuity of symptomatology following service discharge. The September 2008 VA examiner concluded that it was less likely as not related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete service treatment records and a need for a supplemental medical opinion from an audiologist.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus and continued a 10 percent rating for his right knee disability. The Veteran was not granted an increased rating for his right knee disability.

The Veteran's lung cancer was not related to service and did not manifest until two years after his separation. His other service-connected conditions were not severe enough to prevent him from working. Therefore, accrued benefits for TDIU are denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for urinary incontinence, peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, tinnitus, right ear hearing loss, and left ear hearing loss. The Board found no evidence of a current disability for VA purposes.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that noise exposure during reserve duty more likely contributed to these conditions. The claim for sarcoidosis was denied as there is no evidence of current disability or in-service occurrence. The eye disorder claim is pending.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his request for withdrawal of the claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, while his right hand disability is rated at 10%.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, as secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, is granted. The Veteran's claim for a higher initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for PTSD is remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases due to a need for further development and compliance with instructions from the Court.