Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2013

The Veteran's appeal has been remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining relevant medical records and attempting to obtain service treatment records from the Saigon military hospital. The Veteran is also advised that he may need to provide evidence linking his lumbar spine disability to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected tinnitus is currently assigned a 10 percent evaluation, which is the maximum rating authorized under Diagnostic Code 6260.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is found to have its onset in service or be otherwise related to his period of active service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed in order to afford the Veteran full consideration of his claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, knee disabilities, and ankle disabilities. The case is REMANDED for further action.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his active military service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU was granted effective May 6, 2009. The Board finds that the earlier effective date requested is not warranted.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus did not have its onset in service and is not causally related to his military service. Therefore, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are likely related to in-service noise exposure, and thus grants the claims for service connection.

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

The Board has remanded the case for a Travel Board hearing and to address the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for degenerative joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess his ability to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

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

The Veteran's claims for additional disability of hypertension, vision problems, and tinnitus are denied as there is no evidence showing that these conditions were caused by the improper dosage of thyroid medication prescribed at the VA CBOC in Logan, West Virginia.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his exposure to loud noise during service, specifically training with the M1 rifle. As a result, the claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Veteran's income exceeds the maximum threshold for basic eligibility for regular non-service-connected pension benefits. The RO denied his claim of entitlement to special monthly compensation (SMC) based on need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for eye disability, bronchitis, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to lack of evidence supporting these claims. The Veteran was granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss but the status of his tinnitus claim is unknown.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain his Ohio Army National Guard service records and verify the dates of his active duty, active duty for training, and inactive duty training. The claim will be reconsidered based on this additional evidence.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was caused by an accidental overdose of painkillers, unrelated to service or a service-connected disability. Therefore, his cause of death is not service-connected.