Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2011

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, knee disorders, shoulder disorders, elbow disorders, wrist and hand disorders, low back disorder, right ankle disorder, and TMJ (chronic pain), were denied as these conditions are not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his service, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by active service, nor are they related to such service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and an initial disability rating of 50 percent for PTSD from May 31, 2005 to April 17, 2007. The Veteran's claim for a higher rating is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain relevant records and determine the relationship between his current conditions and service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current tinnitus is related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active service, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a current disability. The Veteran's current hearing loss was first noted many years after service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but denied the claims of right and left ear hearing loss due to lack of evidence linking current hearing loss to in-service acoustic trauma.

The Veteran's tinnitus is causally related to his active duty service and the Board finds that he has a current disability. The claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise and rules in favor of the Veteran, granting service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence of current disability, with the exception of a few instances where he reported ringing in his ears. The Board finds that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection under the applicable laws and regulations.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus that is related to service. The VA examiner concluded it was less likely as not that his hearing loss and tinnitus were caused by noise exposure in service.

The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the appellant's current psychiatric and tinnitus conditions and her military service, including continuity of symptomatology since service. Therefore, service connection was denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and providing a VA examination to determine the relationship between his current hearing loss and tinnitus and service.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a hearing loss disability and tinnitus were denied. The Board found no evidence of a current, identifiable hearing loss disability under VA regulations, thus denying the claim for service connection. For the effective date claim, the Board determined that an earlier effective date was not warranted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations, as well as consideration of new evidence. The issues include reopening a claim for right eye disability, tinnitus, PTSD, and hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address service connection and TDIU claims, including clarification of the Veteran's claim for a back disorder.

The Veteran is seeking TDIU based on his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain updated VA treatment records, conduct a vocational specialist opinion regarding the effect of these conditions on employability, and determine if any additional evidence is needed.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for a compensable rating for asthmatic bronchitis, bilateral hearing loss, and service connection for tinnitus.

The Board denied service connection for all claimed conditions, finding that the Veteran's tinnitus, sinus condition, strictures in urethra, and residuals of cold injuries to the feet were not incurred or aggravated by his active military service.