Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2010

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis C, hypothyroidism, hearing loss, tinnitus, a psychiatric disorder (major depression with polysubstance abuse, in remission), and residuals of low back trauma. The Veteran's claims were not supported by the evidence presented.

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 injury or disease. The preponderance of the evidence supports a finding that these conditions are not due to service.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection and his residuals of a left elbow fracture were assigned an initial disability rating of 10 percent. The claim for increased rating remains pending.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, and the Board grants a TDIU.

The Veteran seeks service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which he asserts are related to a head injury sustained in 1946. The VA will make reasonable efforts to obtain relevant records not in the custody of a Federal agency.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and hepatitis C. The evidence does not show that any of these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including ischemic heart disease and hypertension, are granted due to exposure to herbicides in the Republic of Vietnam. The effective date is not specified.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active duty service, as there is no evidence of such conditions prior to separation from service. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's hearing loss was more likely due to post-service occupational noise exposure and age-related changes.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development to determine the cause of his hearing loss and tinnitus, including verification of periods of active duty and reserve service.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus and hypertension were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The VA examiner opined that the Veteran's current diagnoses of tinnitus and hypertension are not related to his military service, with the exception of a possible link between hypertension and his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to an effective date earlier than June 25, 2002 for awards of service connection for a lumbar disability, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss. The issue of whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral knee disability is also addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are likely due to noise exposure during his military service. The claim of missing lower teeth is denied as it does not meet the criteria for compensation under VA regulations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss of the right ear and tinnitus are not related to his service or any incident therein, including noise exposure. As such, the claims for service connection have been denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus. The hearing loss and radiculopathy claims are remanded for additional development.

The Board finds that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service, and grants service connection for bilateral tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's experience of ringing in his ears shortly after service separation is related to active service.

The Board denied service connection for ear damage, bilateral defective hearing, and tinnitus in August 1987. The moving party's motion alleged CUE but the Board found no error.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and left ear tinnitus, finding that these conditions are related to his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service.

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