Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2012

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for tinnitus has been withdrawn by the appellant, resulting in dismissal of the case.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions did not have their onset in or are etiologically linked to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further action due to a lack of an examination assessing the Veteran's overall disability picture and its impact on his employability.

The Veteran's combined disability evaluation has been at least 60% since August 15, 2005, meeting the percentage criteria for a single disability rated as 60 percent or more. The Board granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for an earlier effective date and service connection for tinnitus, finding no legal basis for either claim.

The Veteran's right knee disability and tinnitus are not service-connected, and his combined rating does not meet the criteria for a TDIU. The Board denied both claims.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to service, resulting in a grant of service connection for these conditions. The Veteran's PTSD is also granted with an increased rating to 70 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to have been so incurred.

The Board found that the Veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, as there is no evidence of auditory symptoms during or within one year after separation from service. Therefore, service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Veteran is entitled to a total disability rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability prior to April 28, 2010 due to service-connected disabilities preventing him from obtaining or retaining substantial gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain relevant medical records and for a VA examination to address his claims of service connection for various conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and further evaluation is needed before a decision can be made on the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current tinnitus or dementia with major depression and anxiety related to service. The claim for these conditions is denied.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus due to withdrawal by the Veteran's representative. The claim for service connection of COPD was denied as there is no evidence that it was incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current tinnitus is not related to exposure to loud noise in service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the evidence received since the August 2008 rating decision does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that further development is needed before the claims can be fully adjudicated. This includes obtaining updated VA treatment records, scheduling a new VA audiological examination to assess the current severity of bilateral hearing loss, and scheduling a TDIU examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his service, as there was no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus during service and they were first reported decades after separation. The VA examiner concluded that the conditions are more likely due to occupational noise exposure and aging.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus is not related to service, and denied his claims for service connection for right ear and left ear hearing loss.