Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2012

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

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence did not support a nexus to service.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for the issues of diabetes mellitus type 2, PTSD, and schizophrenia. The remaining issues have been remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is caused by his service-connected left ear hearing loss, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be due to in-service exposure to loud noise, while his low back disability is linked to a combat-related injury. The claims for service connection are granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records, STRs, and examinations. The claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, headaches, low back disability, and cervical spine disability are pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current tinnitus is related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including generalized arthritis of the joints, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral hands, residuals of a cold injury to the left hand, tinnitus, and other disabilities have been denied. The Veteran is currently rated at 30% for migraine headaches.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed as he withdrew his claims for service connection for gastroparesis and increased ratings for diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, tinnitus, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities.,The Veteran's service-connected tinnitus has been assigned the maximum 10 percent schedular rating available.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his service, specifically his exposure to noise in service. As such, the claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as his claimed conditions are not related to his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted, as there is evidence to support these conditions began in service and have persisted since separation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus began during service due to combat noise exposure and continues to this day, granting service connection for tinnitus.

The Board found that the October 2002 decision assigning an effective date of June 14, 2002 for service connection of tinnitus did not contain clear and unmistakable error (CUE). The RO appropriately assigned this effective date as it was the date the Veteran submitted his written claim.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to ensure procedural due process compliance and to obtain a complete record upon which to decide the claims. The Veteran needs to be rescheduled for VA examinations to determine whether he currently suffers from diagnosed disabilities, including left shoulder disorder, hearing loss, tinnitus, lung disorder, and back disorder.

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus in service and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new and material evidence has been presented.,Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as these conditions are related to acoustic noise exposure during active service.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as the previous VA examination opinion was inadequate.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted, with the effective date set at September 30, 2002. The Veteran was awarded a 40 percent rating for his lumbar spine disability as of October 31, 2006. He also received TDIU benefits.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a chronic disability of the left shoulder and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.