Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2011

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and development of his claims, including a review of his service-connected tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, as there is no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus in service or for many years thereafter. The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus disorders are related to his service, resulting in a grant of service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a VA examination to determine if his tinnitus began during active service or is related to acoustic trauma, and for the provision of relevant medical records.

The Veteran's claim for tinnitus, related to service-connected bilateral hearing loss, is being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military noise exposure, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for right knee synovitis and bilateral tinnitus, finding that the Veteran did not have a current disability or chronic symptomatology since service. The Board also found no evidence of in-service noise exposure leading to tinnitus.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection due to a lack of evidence showing that he filed claims prior to September 25, 2007.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is 70 percent as of September 8, 2008. The Board finds that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.

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

The Board has determined that the submitted evidence is not new and material, thus denying the Veteran's claims for service connection of bilateral hearing loss disorder and tinnitus disorder.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and consideration of whether his service-connected disabilities render him unemployable.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have hearing loss or tinnitus as a result of disease or injury incurred during his active military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from engaging in substantial gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) is granted effective March 20, 1991. The effective date was advanced based on the fact that he had been unable to work since the 1980s.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or otherwise the result of his active service. The claim for a bilateral knee disorder is reopened, but further development is required to address the underlying service connection issue.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, when combined, meet the criteria for a TDIU. The evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that the appellant is entitled to service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus. The remaining claims have been withdrawn by the appellant.