Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2013

The Board has determined that the Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are all service-connected. The initial rating for GERD remains at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have PTSD due to a lack of verified in-service stressor. The VA examination did not find current bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus, and the Veteran denied experiencing these conditions during service.

The Board has decided to remand the claim for a new VA opinion on whether the Veteran's tinnitus is caused or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's service connection for tinnitus is granted, as it may be secondary to his already service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's lung disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left knee disorder, left shoulder disorder, and diabetes mellitus, Type II were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The Board found no evidence of a current disability for any of these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left ankle disability, right knee disability, and thumb disabilities. The VA examinations did not find a link between these conditions and 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 is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a diagnosis within one year post-service. The claims for service connection were denied.

The Veteran's claimed conditions were not found to be related to his military service, including as due to an undiagnosed illness.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial disability ratings and earlier effective dates for TDIU and Dependents' Educational Assistance were denied as the evidence did not show that he was unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to April 29, 2004 due solely to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for tinnitus, hearing loss, back disability, and right knee disability are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional service treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss, visual loss in the left eye, and tinnitus preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to May 7, 2010.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for tinnitus has been dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain medical records, schedule a VA examination, and address the issues of service connection for hearing loss and PTSD.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus did not have its onset in active duty service and is not otherwise related to active duty service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral heel fractures and related residuals are service-connected, but his back condition, leg disability, numbness of right lower extremity, hearing loss, and tinnitus are not service-connected.

The Board found no evidence of current ear or respiratory disorders, and thus denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus first manifested during active duty service and has persisted since then, meeting the criteria for service connection. The claim of a compensable rating for prostatitis is granted as his urinary symptoms are not related to his service-connected condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are found to be sufficient to prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU rating.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral tinnitus is related to his active service and grants entitlement to service connection.