Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2012

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to active duty service and the Board has granted entitlement to service connection for tinnitus.

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

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including hearing loss and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (bilateral hearing loss, depression, and tinnitus) meet the schedular requirements for assignment of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable, and grants a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral defective hearing and tinnitus are service connected, with the latter being proximately due to his now service-connected hearing loss.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus was incurred during service, resolving all reasonable doubt in his favor and granting his claim for service connection.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Board finds that new and material evidence has been received sufficient to reopen these claims, and resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran, finding that his current tinnitus is related to military noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims for an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for tinnitus were granted. However, his claims for lumbar spine disability, right knee osteoarthritis, and cervical spine disability were not supported by evidence of a nexus to active duty service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for tinnitus, right knee disability, and left knee disability. However, further development is needed to determine the etiology of his tinnitus and to secure any relevant medical records from service.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but these claims are being remanded to further develop the evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete or insufficient evidence, including audiometric test results and medical opinions.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have current bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes and there is no competent medical evidence linking his current hearing loss to service. For tinnitus, the earliest clinical evidence of record is in 2007, approximately 36 years after separation from service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and SSA disability determination records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including residuals of a cold injury and bilateral hearing loss, combine to at least 40 percent disability. The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected conditions, thus granting TDIU.

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

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor can they be presumed to be related to active duty service. Therefore, his claims for service connection are denied.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded for further consideration by the Director of Compensation and Pension Services to determine if an extra-schedular evaluation is warranted due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board found no evidence of cold injury residuals in the Veteran's hands and denied service connection for left and right upper extremity cold injury residuals. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded due to insufficient development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a right knee disability, hearing loss of the right ear, and tinnitus. The issues were found to be not supported by clear and unmistakable evidence that the conditions preexisted service or were aggravated by service.