Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2013

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service and grants the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of tinnitus or bilateral hearing loss disability due to service. The April 2008 VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's tinnitus was not caused by his military service, and there is no contrary medical opinion in the record.

The Veteran's service connection claim for tinnitus is granted as the evidence supports that his current condition began during and has continued since his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, but have been granted as direct service connection based on evidence of record.

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

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional VA examinations to determine his ability to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, without considering nonservice-related factors such as age. The claim will be readjudicated after the examination reports are received.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and development of his claims due to incomplete information in the prior VA examination reports.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need to obtain additional medical records and provide an opinion regarding the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a Travel Board hearing at the Los Angeles RO. The issues of rating for tinnitus, compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, and reopening service connection claim for gallstones are pending.

The Veteran's tinnitus, joint pain, and stomach disorder are not attributable to his period of military service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his active duty service. No rating or effective date is assigned as this case was remanded.

The Board has determined that further development is needed before the claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus can be adjudicated.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his service, including noise exposure during active duty. The VA examiner concluded that the disabilities did not start until many years after service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his request for the withdrawal of all issues on appeal.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus were not related to his in-service noise exposure, as there was no evidence of a chronic disease during service or within one year after separation. The weight of the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions are related to military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for further development and consideration of his claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a new VA examination and current medical records.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus did not have its onset during service and is not related to in-service noise exposure. As a result, the claim for service connection for tinnitus was denied.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for a TDIU and his service-connected disabilities preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.