Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2013

The Board has determined that the appellant's tinnitus was incurred during his ACDUTRA service in July 1962, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, with the latter being at least as likely as not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected hearing loss.

The Board finds that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to service and grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have originated during his active service and has been granted service connection.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the appellant's claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, including consideration of in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be causally related to his military service, and the Board finds that he currently has a current disability meeting VA criteria for hearing loss. The Veteran also had a history of tinnitus in service, but there is no current diagnosis or competent medical evidence linking this condition to service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is not sufficient evidence to establish a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and dental problems as residuals of a jaw fracture. The VA compensation examinations did not find these conditions to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's current tinnitus disability is found to have begun in service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the inadequacy of the February 2012 VA examination. The case will be returned to the Board after a new examination is conducted.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a skin disorder and therefore is not entitled to service connection for this condition. The claim for tinnitus must be denied as there is no evidence found in the claims file suggesting a link between his active duty service and his claimed tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current hearing loss disability in either ear for VA compensation purposes, and thus cannot establish service connection for right ear hearing loss. The claim for left ear hearing loss is granted as there are chronic symptoms of hearing impairment in service. Service connection for tinnitus and PTSD are denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling examinations to assess the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are causally related to noise exposure during active service, granting his claims for service connection.

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

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and gunshot wound residuals, render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and found that the Veteran's current tinnitus is related to his in-service acoustic trauma. The claim of entitlement to service connection for a dental disability for compensation purposes was also granted, as the evidence supports a finding that the Veteran does not have such a condition. However, the claim of entitlement to service connection for a dental condition for the purpose of establishing eligibility for outpatient treatment was denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and opinion regarding his claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus. The current medical evidence does not adequately address the Veteran's assertions about in-service noise exposure and post-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's PTSD is manifested by mild memory loss, sleep impairment, hyperarousal, anxiety, and some occupational impairment. The Board has granted a 30 percent rating for PTSD under Diagnostic Code 9411.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for tinnitus, as it is found to be related to his active service.