Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2012

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The Veteran is not unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities for the periods from September 8, 2003 through May 31, 2006, and from March 1, 2009 through July 31, 2009.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and non-VA medical records, contacting the Massachusetts Department of Health and Human Services to obtain disability benefits records, and scheduling a new VA examination to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's tinnitus was not shown to have been incurred or aggravated during service, and the Board found that his lay statements were insufficient to establish a nexus between his current condition and service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for various conditions, including a psychiatric disorder to include PTSD and depression, low back disability, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, hip disability, muscle spasms, gout, sleep disorder, tinnitus, and erectile dysfunction has been denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current psychiatric disability involving depression or PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and clarifying opinions from the April 2010 VA audiologist regarding the etiology of his bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, meeting the criteria for a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus should be remanded to allow for further development of evidence, including a VA examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not arise during service or due to in-service acoustic trauma, thus denying his claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is as likely due to or associated with his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, and thus grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his service, specifically due to acoustic trauma. Therefore, service connection for both conditions is granted.

The Veteran's tinnitus is causally-related to his service-connected hearing loss, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical opinions and evidence regarding the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and residuals of right knee injury. The original rating decision denied these claims, but the appeal remains pending.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss disabilities are rated as noncompensable under VA regulations. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for either condition.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical opinions regarding his tinnitus and PTSD, as well as scheduling VA examinations to reassess the severity of his hemorrhoid disability. The claims are being remanded to allow for these steps.

The Board has found that the Veteran's tinnitus and TMJ are both service-connected, with tinnitus being granted based on in-service noise exposure and TMJ being granted as it worsened during active duty. The right shoulder disability claim is pending further examination and review.

The Veteran's tinnitus was incurred in service due to noise exposure during his military duties as a mechanic and recovery specialist. The Board found the Veteran's lay testimony credible regarding when he first noticed his tinnitus, leading to the grant of service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus did not begin during service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied service connection for hypertension and prostate cancer. The Veteran's current hypertension is not related to active service, while his prostate cancer is not related to service.