Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2012

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss disability are found to be related to his military service, while the skin disorder is not. The Veteran was granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including verification of stressors and audiometric evaluations.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, specifically his exposure to loud noise while in service. The claims for service connection were denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right ear hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes. The Veteran's currently manifested left ear hearing loss first manifested many years after service and is not causally related to event(s) during his military service. Tinnitus had its onset during active service. There is evidence of sleep problems during military service, competent medical evidence of a current diagnosis of sleep apnea, and competent allegations of continuity of sleep problems beginning during service to the present.

The Veteran is currently receiving disability compensation for PTSD, hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD has prevented him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, thus granting a TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the inadequacy of the January 2009 VA examination report. The case will be reviewed again after obtaining a supplemental opinion from an audiologist or otologist.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new evidence does not establish a nexus to service.

The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise on the question of a nexus between service and tinnitus, based on continuity of symptomatology. As such, the claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, primarily hearing loss and tinnitus, preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has ordered additional development due to incomplete medical opinions and the need for clarification of a December 2011 computer printout.

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

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain service treatment records and VA medical records, as well as to provide the Veteran with a VA examination. The appeal will be remanded for these actions.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active service, as there is no evidence of hearing or tinnitus problems during service. The VA examiner opined that it would be speculative to attribute current hearing loss and tinnitus to service due to a lack of in-service complaints or diagnoses.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development regarding herbicide exposure in Thailand and obtaining medical opinions on the cause of death.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 20 percent, the maximum schedular rating. His tinnitus has been granted a 10 percent evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes. For tinnitus, the evidence is in equipoise as to whether it had its onset during service and is related to noise exposure in service.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, as there is no evidence of noise exposure during active duty. The VA examiner found that the onset of these conditions occurred decades after separation from service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, but a new VA examination is needed to determine if it is related to his service-connected hearing loss disability or if it was aggravated by that condition.

The Veteran's current tinnitus is related to his active duty service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.