Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2013

The Board finds that the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no credible evidence of in-service injury or disease. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred during active duty.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and granted service connection for a left shoulder disability, but found that the Veteran's tinnitus is not related to service. The initial rating for the left shoulder disability was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the combined impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his active service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and there is no evidence of tinnitus in service or within one year after separation. The preponderance of the evidence supports the conclusion that his current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have become manifest during service and has persisted since, warranting service connection.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be causally related to his active duty service and granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, including noise exposure during active duty. As such, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for a new VA examination and opinion regarding his claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as the previous opinions are insufficient.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU rating is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's death was caused by hemorrhagic stroke due to chronic hypertension. The appellant claims that the cause of death may have been diabetes mellitus type II, which is presumed related to Agent Orange exposure. However, service connection cannot be granted on a presumptive basis for hypertension or hemorrhagic stroke as they are not among the diseases linked to Agent Orange exposure. The Board has ordered additional development including obtaining a medical opinion regarding whether diabetes mellitus caused or contributed to the Veteran's death and if his hypertension was related to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and an official copy of the Veteran's Form DD-214.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are at least as likely as not related to his in-service exposure to hazardous noise.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and headache disabilities was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability. The Board found that the Veteran did not have sufficient hearing impairment to qualify as a disability for VA compensation purposes.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active service. The symptoms were not chronic in service, did not manifest within one year of separation, and have not been continuous since service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no competent evidence linking these conditions to in-service noise exposure. The claim for tinnitus was granted as credible statements from the Veteran support his belief that he first experienced ringing in his ears during service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that his current diagnosis of tinnitus is related to in-service noise exposure. The hearing loss claim remains pending and will be remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his service, specifically noise exposure during active duty.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is not etiologically related to service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that these conditions are due to his military noise exposure.