Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2013

The Board found that there is no legal basis for the assignment of an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus, as only a single 10 percent evaluation is authorized under DC 6260. The issue of TDIU has been raised but not yet addressed by the RO.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran did not incur these conditions in or aggravated by active service.

The Board found that the Veteran's pre-existing bilateral hearing loss was aggravated by his military service, and granted service connection for this condition. The tinnitus claim is also granted as it is related to noise exposure during service.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to lack of evidence showing a service-connected disability caused or contributed substantially to his death.,The appellant's claim for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) under Title 38, Chapter 35 was also denied as she did not meet the eligibility requirements.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining National Guard service records and verifying periods of active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty for training. The Veteran's claims for service connection are pending.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus in his right ear and granted a 20 percent rating for degenerative facet joint L5-S1 with bulge, lordosis, and spondylosis (back condition). The other issues were not addressed as the appeal was not about service connection at all.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are as likely as not attributable to his active service, including exposure to acoustic trauma during his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there was no evidence of a nexus between in-service noise exposure and these conditions.

The Board has determined that the effective dates for the grant of service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus should be December 5, 2008 as this is the date the Veteran's claims were received by VA.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are due to in-service acoustic trauma and aggravation of a pre-existing condition.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to the Veteran's inability to attend a scheduled videoconference hearing.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have manifested as a result of his active military service, warranting the grant of service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is etiologically related to active service and granted service connection for this condition. The decision on bilateral hearing loss remains pending as it was addressed in a separate REMAND.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as evidenced by a lack of in-service noise exposure and normal hearing at separation. The VA examiner found no evidence of acoustic trauma during service and concluded that the current audiometric findings do not support a finding of service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active duty service, and the Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active service, including noise exposure. The VA examiner concluded that there was no significant change in hearing from service, making it less likely than not that the current hearing loss is due to military noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for a clarifying medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for PTSD based on DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of a nexus between current conditions and in-service acoustic trauma or exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board grants entitlement to TDIU.