Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2012

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded to the RO for rescheduling of a Board video-conference hearing.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and evaluation of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and clarifying the Veteran's desire to continue his appeal.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to procedural issues, including the need for a hearing before all panel members who will ultimately decide the appeal.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to inadequate discussion of the reasons and bases supporting the decision, a duty to assist deficiency, and an insufficient medical opinion addressing his employability.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have current hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes and thus denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. Service connection was also denied for tinnitus as there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his military service, including noise exposure during his time in Vietnam.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may they be presumed to have been incurred therein. The most persuasive evidence fails to establish a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted, as the preponderance of evidence supports a finding that his tinnitus had its onset in service or is otherwise etiologically related to service. The issue of entitlement to service connection for a low back condition is addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a service-connected hearing loss or tinnitus, and finds no evidence of heart disability related to service. The claims are therefore denied.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is being remanded due to inadequate examination findings. The claims will be re-adjudicated after the necessary development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to a no-show at the scheduled videoconference hearing. The RO must attempt to obtain VA treatment records from March 2011 to the present and schedule the Veteran for a new videoconference hearing.

The Veteran's claims for hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a skin disorder have been dismissed due to the withdrawal of his claims by his representative.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have current right ear hearing loss or tinnitus disabilities, and denied service connection for these conditions. The left ear hearing loss was also denied as there is no evidence of a qualifying disability under VA criteria.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA examination and consideration of whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable. The claim will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, squamous cell carcinoma, digestive disorder, and erectile dysfunction were denied as there is no competent evidence showing a link between these conditions and service.

The Board found that tinnitus was not incurred in active service and denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for nonservice-connected VA pension benefits is being remanded due to the need for clarification of his employment status and financial income throughout the appeal period, as well as a determination of whether he meets the income eligibility requirements.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for gout has been granted, and his request to reopen a claim for service connection for a bilateral ankle rash was withdrawn. The TDIU claim is also granted.