Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2010

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for tinnitus were denied. The Veteran was granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss but only received a noncompensable disability rating prior to June 27, 2009, and a 20 percent disability rating from that date onwards. Service connection for tinnitus was also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for hearing loss disability and tinnitus, as there is no evidence of a chronic, identifiable hearing loss disability or tinnitus in or after service. Therefore, the appeal is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and VA medical records. The Veteran's claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is rated at 30 percent, and the Board has granted a higher rating to reflect his current level of disability. The Veteran also has service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active service, and thus denied both claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were granted, but the effective dates cannot be earlier than October 2, 2008 as no prior claim was filed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus, and therefore service connection for these conditions cannot be granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of service treatment records and the need for further examination regarding hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, with evidence showing noise exposure during military service. The claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's tinnitus claim for further development due to inconsistencies in medical opinions and evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus originated during his active service, and thus granted service connection for both conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is as likely the result of his noise exposure in service or associated with his service-connected noise-induced hearing loss, and thus grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus during service, and the Veteran's current complaints are not related to his military service. The appeals for service connection were denied.

The Board has determined that the appellant's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are likely attributable to his period of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) in March 1953, leading to a grant of service connection.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD and tinnitus are remanded due to the need to verify stressor events, obtain missing reserve component records, and provide the Veteran with VA examinations to determine the etiology of his conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, and cervical disc disease with radiculopathy. The Veteran's claims for a right knee disability and neck disability are not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for various issues, including service connection for bilateral hearing loss and cervical spine disability, increased ratings for lumbar spine disability, and initial ratings for tinnitus and cervicogenic headaches. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 10 percent prior to April 4, 2009, and 20 percent since then.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that no unadjudicated claims existed prior to his February 27, 2006 claim. The effective date assigned was February 27, 2006.

The Board finds that the Veteran's tinnitus is incurred during his active military service and grants service connection for this condition.