Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2012

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as his claim for an increased evaluation above 10 percent for hemorrhoids. The case is to be remanded for further development.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to noise exposure during active duty service, while his bilateral hearing loss is not considered a current disability for VA purposes.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the etiology of any current hearing loss and/or tinnitus, as well as whether service connection should be granted for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are causally related to his military service, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including verification of his service and readjudication of the pension claim. The issues of service connection are also pending.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed as the appellant has withdrawn them.

The Board found no current evidence of hearing loss disability in the right ear and determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss did not begin during service. The Board also found his assertions regarding onset of hearing loss in service to be not credible, given the long period between discharge from active service and medical documentation of the condition.

The Veteran's current major depressive disorder and related sleep impairment symptoms are due to service in Desert Storm. His bilateral great toe osteoarthritis, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus did not have their onset in service or are not attributable to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus is causally related to noise exposure during active service and granted his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development of his claims, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and cardiovascular disorder.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a comprehensive examination to consider all of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and their combined effect on his employment.

The Veteran's PTSD resulted in moderate impairment prior to July 24, 2008. From October 3, 2009 onwards, his PTSD caused severe symptoms but did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability is being remanded due to the need for another VA examination to assess his employability given his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and the reduction of his left knee disability rating was found to be improper. The Veteran did not have new and material evidence submitted to reopen several of his claims.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have had its onset in service and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The VA determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, including noise exposure during basic training.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than November 8, 2007, for the award of service connection for tinnitus is denied as there was no pending informal or formal claim prior to that date.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection, including opinions regarding the etiology of his hypertension, tinnitus, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus and right shoulder disorder were not incurred in service, as there was no chronicity of symptoms during or after service. The current disabilities are not related to service.

The Veteran's appeal has been remanded due to the withdrawal of her claim for service connection for pre-diabetes. The remaining claims of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus, bilateral arm disorder, and bilateral wrist disorder are being reviewed with new VA examinations.