Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2011

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his service, including exposure to noise during basic training. The VA audiological examination concluded that the Veteran's hearing was within normal limits at separation from service.

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

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including post-operative herniated disc of the lumbar spine with left sciatica, degenerative arthritis of the right knee, radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities, status post amputation of the left little finger, bipolar disorder, tinnitus, asbestosis, and tinnitus, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and sinusitis were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claims of service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss. The February 1998 rating decision remains final.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are directly related to his military service, with significant noise exposure during active duty. The evidence supports a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have its onset during service and is therefore granted as service connected.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted it. The Veteran is now entitled to a compensable rating for his right wrist disability.,Service connection for tinnitus was also established, as there is evidence that the condition first developed during service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his service, and thus grants service connection for bilateral tinnitus. For the low back disability, the Board concludes there was no aggravation of a pre-existing condition during service, and therefore denies service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss alone has rendered him unable to follow substantially gainful employment, and the Board finds that he meets the criteria for a TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his period of active service, with noise exposure during his tour in Alexandroupolis, Greece. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss but granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions were related to noise exposure during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are secondary to his service-connected Type II diabetes mellitus, warranting service connection.

The Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there is no legal basis to award separate schedular evaluations or higher ratings.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for his TDIU award, finding that the effective date of November 1, 2009 is appropriate as it marks the point at which he became unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a Travel Board hearing before a third VLJ who will participate in the decision on these issues.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran has a current diagnosis of PTSD attributable to his in-service combat exposure and grants this aspect of his appeal. His claims for increased rating for right shoulder disability and TDIU are remanded.

The Board found no current bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes and denied service connection for tinnitus due to lack of in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for further evidentiary development, including obtaining evidence from Social Security Administration and a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a lumbar spine disorder, erectile dysfunction, a genitourinary disorder, a gastrointestinal disorder, or an upper respiratory disorder. The evidence is against finding aggravation of pre-existing conditions during service.