Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2011

The Board has determined that the Veteran's vocational rehabilitation training at INSEAD in France was unique and not available in the United States, preventing him from attending due to personal hardship. The criteria for vocational rehabilitation training outside the United States have been met.

The Veteran's current tinnitus is related to his military service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete information and need for further examination regarding the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus claims.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for a right tympanic membrane perforation during the February 2011 hearing. The issues of entitlement to service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus are addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current tinnitus is related to his in-service noise exposure, and thus grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, low back disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), and bilateral hearing loss were denied. The claim for compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for a left patellar tendon rupture was not addressed in this decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus, blurred vision, and a neck disorder due to failure to report for scheduled VA examinations. The AMC must attempt to contact the Veteran at his current address or the PO Box address in Wellston, Oklahoma.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is entitled to service connection for tinnitus, but not for bilateral hearing loss. The evidence is at least in equipoise regarding the etiology of the Veteran's tinnitus, and thus, it will be granted.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including tinnitus, back injury, and left leg injury. The Veteran will be scheduled for VA examinations to address these issues.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for further development and consideration, including obtaining additional medical opinions regarding his employability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is service-connected and rated at 10 percent.,Tinnitus is currently rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum rating available under Diagnostic Code 6260.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have hearing loss or tinnitus that is attributable to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of in-service hearing loss or tinnitus. The examiner noted that the Veteran did not have any significant noise exposure during service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not cause his death from multiple blunt trauma due to falls. The underlying causes were unrelated to service.

The Board has determined that the decision is being remanded due to incomplete records and requests for further development of the claims file.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his military service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition. The issues of entitlement to service connection for right and left ankle disorders are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death, COPD, was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected conditions and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current tinnitus is related to her active service, and thus grants service connection for right ear tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his period of active service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.