Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2011

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The Board finds sufficient evidence to support the Veteran's contention that he experienced ringing in his ears during service and has had ongoing issues with tinnitus since then.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus. The decision found that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen any of these claims, and that the Veteran's current hearing loss disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his ability to work.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of hearing loss in his right ear as defined by VA standards. The preponderance of evidence is against finding that he incurred or developed any of these conditions during service, and there is no credible evidence linking them to service.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, tinnitus, and residuals of traumatic brain injury have been granted. The claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and development of the record to address his claims for tinnitus, PTSD, and TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss due to aggravation during service. The issue of tinnitus is remanded as the VA examination report did not consider the Veteran's reports of in-service noise exposure and tinnitus.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including depressive disorder associated with migraine headaches and migraine headaches, are shown to be of such nature and severity as to preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for tinnitus and infertility were denied as the evidence did not support a link to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current tinnitus was incurred during active military service, and thus grants the claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disability, tinnitus, and NHL were denied. The Board found that there was no relationship between the current disabilities and service or service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since September 12, 2005. He is also service-connected for ischemic heart disease and tinnitus. The Board finds that the Veteran meets the criteria for a total disability rating based on unemployability due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service.

The Board has found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are etiologically related to his active military service period, resulting in a grant of service connection for both conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions. The appeal will be remanded to the RO/AMC for further action.

The Board has remanded the case due to an insufficient VA examination, and the Veteran's service connection claims for hearing loss and tinnitus are being returned to the RO/AMC for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was granted effective February 18, 2009. The Board found that the original May 1971 application included both hearing acuity and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service acoustic trauma, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated mental health treatment records and scheduling a VA psychiatric examination. The TDIU claim will also be considered.