Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2013

The VA determined that the Veteran's tinnitus was not incurred or aggravated by his military service, and therefore denied his claim.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection as it is considered secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.,Service connection for vertigo (BPPV) was denied due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions did not have their clinical onset in service or are otherwise related to active duty.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that his current conditions did not meet the regulatory criteria for a compensable disability. The VA audiological examinations conducted in March 2008 and July 2012 established that the Veteran had normal hearing during active duty, and there was no evidence of onset or aggravation of these conditions during service.

The Veteran's tinnitus claim is being remanded for additional development, including an addendum opinion from the August 2013 VA examiner regarding whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's tinnitus had its onset in service or is related to noise exposure during military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a supplemental report from the September 2013 VA audiologist and arranging for an examination if necessary. The Veteran is advised to provide any missing records and respond to the RO's request for information.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current disabilities for which service connection can be granted, including residuals of a ruptured appendix. The claims are therefore denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus is not related to service and denied her claim.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal with respect to all issues prior to the Board's decision.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and consideration of the issues listed on the title page.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disabilities, evaluated as 80 percent disabling, prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment. Therefore, the Board grants TDIU.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is related to acoustic trauma in military service and the Board has granted entitlement to service connection for this condition. The issue of tinnitus remains pending as it was not addressed by the RO.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are attributable to his active military service, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's initial disability rating for service-connected diabetes mellitus was increased to 20 percent effective July 20, 2011. His tinnitus is rated at the maximum schedular evaluation of 10 percent. The hearing loss remains noncompensable.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be causally related to his military service or his service-connected bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were caused by in-service noise exposure, and the Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran is seeking a VA clothing allowance due to the need to wear knee braces. The issue of service connection for his left and right knee disabilities, as well as other conditions like hearing loss, tinnitus, and prostate cancer, are pending before the Board.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's currently diagnosed tinnitus is likely related to periods of Active Duty for Training (ACDUTRA) and Inactive Duty for Training (INACDUTRA). Therefore, service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active duty, nor may they be presumed to have been so incurred or aggravated. The evidence did not demonstrate a nexus between current disability and service.