Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2012

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus had onset in service or were caused by his active military service, granting him service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran experienced chronic tinnitus during service and has continuous symptoms since separation. The Board finds that the Veteran's testimony regarding ringing in his ears is credible, establishing continuity of symptomatology.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, a gynecological condition to include residuals of hysterectomy for carcinoma in situ, and tinnitus. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service or any other basis.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are not related to service, as they are more likely due to post-service noise exposure and age-related factors.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to conflicting evidence regarding the appellant's service in the Louisiana Army National Guard and his claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board found that the appellant's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure. The VA examinations did not provide a clear opinion on the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in his need for regular aid and attendance, including the inability to dress or undress himself, the inability to attend to his hygiene, the need to frequently adjust any special prosthetic or orthopedic appliance, the inability to feed himself or attend to the wants of nature, the incapacity to protect himself from hazards or dangers incident to his daily environment; and the Veteran is not bedridden.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran's tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and cancer are related to his military service. The claims will be remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and an increased rating for hypertension have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a grant of service connection for tinnitus, as the Veteran was not credible regarding his in-service noise exposure leading to tinnitus. For hypertension, the Board noted that the medical evidence did not show predominantly diastolic pressure of 110 or more or systolic pressure of 200 or more, which would warrant a higher rating under the applicable VA Rating Schedule.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his service, and he is granted service connection for this condition. The Board also finds that the Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus, PTSD, diabetic neuropathy of both lower extremities, and tinnitus, resulting in a TDIU rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, as there was no clear and unmistakable evidence of a preexisting condition. The weight of the more probative evidence showed that these conditions did not manifest during service or within one year after separation.

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

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension was reopened due to the submission of new evidence. Service connection is granted based on direct service connection.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted as it is related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus is not related to his service, specifically noting that there was no evidence of tinnitus at the time of or following the in-service blunt trauma. The Veteran's current tinnitus diagnosis is considered a symptom of his bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, to include restoration of a 40 percent disability rating, has been withdrawn. The Board also dismissed the claim for TDIU benefits as there is no evidence that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable.

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

The Board has found that the Veteran's tinnitus is etiologically related to active service and granted service connection for this condition. The skin disorder claim, including claims for jungle rot and scars, will be remanded for additional development as requested by the Board.

The Veteran's tinnitus and neck disability have been granted service connection on a direct causation basis.,There is no evidence of chronicity or continuity of symptomatology for the other conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for a left knee disability status post surgery. The flat feet/foot disability (pes planus) was not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection were denied as there was no CUE in the March 2005 rating decision and the evidence did not show that his hearing loss or tinnitus were related to military service. The August 2010 grant of service connection is assigned an effective date of May 13, 2010.