Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2012

The Veteran's claims are being remanded to obtain additional service records and verify his claimed periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA. The Board will then consider the remaining issues for service connection.

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

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as whether these conditions are related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cataracts and macular degeneration on a secondary basis to diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's current conditions are found to be at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination and a need for another examination.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for instability residual to a torn medial meniscus in the left knee, finding that the Veteran had no more than overall moderate instability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to inadequate development of his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The VA needs to obtain an updated medical opinion addressing whether the Veteran's service-connected conditions render him unable to work.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from participating in substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss was noted at entry into service and is presumed to have existed prior to service. It was not aggravated by military service.,Left ear hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may it be presumed to have been incurred in service.,Seizure disorder was not diagnosed during the appeal period.,PTSD was not incurred in or aggravated by military service and is not considered a compensable disability for VA purposes.,Tinnitus was not related to service. Lung disability, including granulomatous disease and bilateral pulmonary nodules, was also not related to service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service.,Thoracolumbar spine disability and cervical spine disability are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Board has granted service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue, finding that the evidence is in equipoise and thus favoring a grant of service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's reported onset of tinnitus after service was not supported by credible evidence, and thus denied service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnoses of tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are service-connected based on direct evidence, with no presumption or secondary connection. The decision is in favor of granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, prostate cancer residuals, tinnitus, right knee strain, and hearing loss, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Veteran will be scheduled for a VA examination by an ENT physician at a VA medical facility.

The Board denied the Appellant's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities and hearing loss. The claim for tinnitus is being remanded.

The Veteran's claim to reopen his left ear hearing loss and PTSD claims was granted, with the PTSD claim receiving a 50% evaluation effective from January 30, 2009 to March 12, 2009. The right ear hearing loss and tinnitus claims are not addressed in this decision.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are as likely as not related to his military service.

The Veteran's chronic headache disorder is found to be related to a head trauma he experienced in service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

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

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his military service, and the claim for service connection is granted.