Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2012

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current condition is etiologically related to his active service. The issue of bilateral hearing loss remains pending and will be remanded.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a back injury, but denied his claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the case back to the RO for initial consideration of additional evidence submitted by the Veteran, and then readjudication of the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and right knee disability. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus, lower back disorder, and right knee disorder are related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for scheduling a Travel Board hearing and issuance of an SOC regarding his claim of service connection for residuals of bilateral shoulder injury. The issues of service connection for hypertension, increased rating for lumbar spine strain, and entitlement to total disability based on individual unemployability are referred back to the AOJ.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not have onset during service or within one year of discharge, and there was no evidence linking these conditions to in-service noise exposure. The VA examination and VHA medical opinion concluded that the current hearing loss and tinnitus were not related to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are directly related to his period of active service, with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to a failure to fulfill the heightened duty to assist in connection with lost records.

The Veteran's hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo were not found to be related to his military service.,A rating in excess of the assigned evaluations for peptic ulcer disease was denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not have a direct relationship to his military service, as there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure or symptoms during service. The claims for service connection were therefore denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus is not related to his service, specifically noting that there was no mention of tinnitus in his STRs and he denied having any ear-related problems on service separation examination. The VA examiner opined that the Veteran's tinnitus is unrelated to noise exposure during military service.

The Board has dismissed the appellant's appeal on the issue of entitlement to service connection for a lower back disability due to withdrawal by the appellant. The VA audiological test results do not show right ear hearing loss, and tinnitus is related to acoustic trauma incurred in service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his military service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of a cold injury and tinnitus, but denied the Veteran's claims for left knee disability, right knee disability, and COPD. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's currently manifested bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are due to noise exposure during his honorable period of active service from October 29, 1956 to March 21, 1965. As such, these claims for service connection have been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his service, including exposure to loud noises during combat in Vietnam. As a result, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder to include anxiety and depression. The claims for low back strain with arthritis and a left arm residual scar of a gunshot wound were also denied as new and material evidence was not received.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to inadequate medical examination and consideration of the combined effects of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.