Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2012

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence to support a direct relationship between his current conditions and his active service.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II. The Veteran's claims for an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD and depression), bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are remanded for further development.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service, with the exception of right ear hearing loss which is not shown to be related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, as he has maintained employment despite these disabilities for many years.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss and a higher rating for tinnitus were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an increased rating for either condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the relationship between tinnitus and service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability in either ear and tinnitus did not manifest during active service and is not related to hazardous noise exposure. Therefore, service connection for these conditions cannot be established.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for tinnitus and granted service connection, finding that there is at least equipoise evidence to support a finding of onset in service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issue of entitlement to a higher initial rating for tinnitus.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence did not establish a relationship between current hearing loss and acoustic trauma in service.

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

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has been withdrawn. The issues of entitlement to higher ratings for PTSD, TDIU prior to May 10, 2012, and service connection for sleep apnea are being remanded for additional development.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the TDIU claim and applications to reopen service connection claims. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are considered in determining whether he can secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's death is being reviewed to determine if his service-connected disabilities were a primary or contributory cause of his death in March 2010. The VA examiner will review the records and provide an opinion.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's hearing status at separation from service and a need for further examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain a VA examination for his PTSD and to determine if he is unemployable due to service-connected disabilities. The issues of an increased rating for PTSD and TDIU are inextricably intertwined.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was granted. The Board found that the Veteran had current disability involving tinnitus, which he asserts originated in or about 1967 during his period of military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not begin in service, and are not related to military noise exposure. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of medical records.