Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2010

The Board finds that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus are service-connected as they are related to his period of active military service.

The VA determined that the Veteran's tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to issues related to service connection.

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus in service and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by his active service and denied his claim.

The Veteran's claim for a powered mobility device, such as a powered wheelchair or scooter, is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and an examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not have their onset in service, but are related to his military service due to exposure to acoustic trauma. The claims were granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or continuous symptoms since service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, including exposure to naval gunfire during a transoceanic crossing in 1946. The Veteran's symptoms of hearing loss and tinnitus have been continuous since discharge from service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service and granted service connection for this condition.

The VA determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by his military service, as there was no evidence of hearing loss during service and the conditions are more likely related to post-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been granted. The issue of an initial disability rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD and the TDIU claim are addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Board found that there is no evidence of tinnitus in service or for many years after service, and the August 2007 VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's tinnitus is less likely as not caused by acoustic trauma during service. Therefore, service connection for tinnitus was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for a chronic low back disability, cyst, left kidney, temporomandibular joint disease (TMJ) to include as secondary to PTSD, tinnitus, or hearing loss.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have tinnitus attributable to active military service and denied his claim for service connection. For the knee disability, while there is a currently diagnosed bilateral subluxation of the patellae, no nexus opinion has been sought to determine if it is related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining service medical records and VA treatment records. The case will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of service treatment records and the need for an examination to determine if the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are found to be related to his active service, specifically noise exposure during service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and incomplete medical records, requiring further development.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus were not related to his military service, including noise exposure. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and his service.