Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2011

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

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims. The Board also found that the Veteran's current tinnitus was not related to his period of active service.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of a nexus between current symptoms and in-service noise exposure. The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have tinnitus or vertigo as a result of disease or injury during his active service. The dizziness in service was attributed to his personality disorder.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be due to service exposure to noise, and the claim for service connection is granted. The claim for increased rating of his lumbar spine disability remains pending.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have not been reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing impairment and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by his period of active military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to lack of new and material evidence for the COPD claim.

The Veteran's claims for left otitis externa, left otitis media, and bilateral hearing loss were denied. However, his claim of service connection for tinnitus was granted.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for left ear hearing loss disability and tinnitus were denied as there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus was incurred in service, as there is clear and unmistakable evidence showing it preexisted military service but not aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration of the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's PTSD has been granted and rated at 70 percent since August 7, 2008. The other conditions (tinnitus, chloracne, intermittent claudication of the legs) have not been resolved in this decision.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary before the claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus can be adjudicated.

The Board found that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and tinnitus were pre-existing conditions that did not increase in severity during active service, thus denying entitlement to service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the issues of service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include depression and anxiety, and an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for residuals of a right middle finger fracture. The remaining claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a left eye disorder are remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is related to noise exposure during active duty for training. The issue of entitlement to service connection for a chronic headache disability, asserted to be secondary to the now service-connected tinnitus, is addressed in the REMAND portion and will be remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and found that the Veteran's claim seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss must be reconsidered due to new evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for tinnitus is granted, as new and material evidence was submitted to reopen his original claim.