Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2012

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected, as it is at least as likely as not related to noise exposure during his military service. The low back disorder claim is being remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are etiologically related to his military service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is attributable to his active duty service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development of evidence regarding the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The case will be returned to the RO/AMC for further action.

The Board has granted service connection for head trauma with residual migraines and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current symptoms are related to his in-service injury.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to noise exposure during his service in the Air Force Reserves, particularly on the flight line. As such, these conditions have been granted service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are not related to his active service, while his right and left foot disabilities were not addressed due to a lack of examination. The appeal is denied for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to September 28, 2007, for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as the earliest possible effective date provided by law has already been assigned.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is due to service, and his claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder including PTSD and/or depression is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of her service connection claims, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to address the nature and etiology of her claimed disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not have their clinical onset in service or are otherwise related to active duty. The preexisting conditions were not aggravated during service, and there is no evidence of an increase in severity.

The Veteran has provided competent and credible testimony of experiencing intermittent tinnitus from active service forward, consistent with the conditions and circumstances of his military service in an artillery unit. The Board finds that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran has tinnitus that began during active service.

The Board has reopened the claim for tinnitus and determined that new evidence supports a finding of service connection. The Veteran's tinnitus is as likely as not related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development to determine if his service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and coronary artery disease, have rendered him unemployable since May 2006. As a result, his claim for TDIU is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, effective December 10, 2002.,Service connection for tinnitus has been granted based on in-service noise exposure and current medical evidence.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to ensure all relevant evidence is obtained and considered in the Veteran's claims for service connection. This includes obtaining his Air National Guard service treatment records, verifying his periods of active duty training (ADT) and inactive duty training (IADT), and obtaining any private treatment records related to his claimed conditions.

The Veteran died of cardiac arrest due to gastrointestinal bleeding. The Board found that his service-connected conditions (major depression, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus) did not cause or contribute substantially or materially to the cause of death.

The Board has determined that service connection is warranted for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, as these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service.