Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2013

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his in-service noise exposure. However, there is no evidence of frostbite or its residuals during service.,Regarding the claim for residuals of frostbite of the right great toe, the Veteran did not have a diagnosed condition at any point during service and there is insufficient medical evidence to establish that he currently has this disability.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The most probative evidence indicates that his current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and scheduling a VA examination to assess his PTSD symptoms and their impact on employment.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the need for a more complete examination of his service-connected disabilities and their impact on employment.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for tinnitus and right ear hearing loss at a Travel Board hearing held on March 16, 2011. The claim for left ear hearing loss is being remanded for additional development.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination, as well as the retrieval of relevant treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and recurrent ear infections, but granted a higher initial rating of 50% for PTSD. The right ankle disorder claim is remanded, as are the TDIU claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate notice regarding unavailability of private medical records. The Veteran must be informed that certain records could not be obtained and provided with an opportunity to respond.

The Board has referred the Veteran's TDIU claim to the Under Secretary for Benefits or Director of Compensation and Pension Service for an extra-schedular evaluation under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b) due to his service-connected disabilities, such as PTSD, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and sinus disorder. This includes obtaining relevant medical records, clarifying dates of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA periods of service, and arranging for appropriate VA examinations.

The Board has received notification from the appellant that he is withdrawing his appeal to reopen claims of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus. As a result, the appeal must be dismissed.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding it at least as likely as not that the condition had its onset during active duty. Service connection is denied for back disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for tinnitus to obtain a VA examination and opinion regarding whether the Veteran's current tinnitus is related to service or his service-connected diabetes.

The Board granted service connection for fibromyalgia/intermittent migratory arthralgia and chronic fatigue syndrome as undiagnosed illnesses of Persian Gulf War origin, but denied the other claims.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus were all granted. The Board found that the Veteran had no diagnosed PTSD related to service or any other in-service stressor. Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were both determined to be attributable to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, back disability, and bilateral knee disability were denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or in-service injury/illness that could be linked to these conditions.

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

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, including secondary to bilateral hearing loss, and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is addressed in the remand portion of this decision.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, lumbar degenerative disc disease, right leg numbness, and hemochromatosis were denied as they are not service-connected. The Board found that the conditions did not develop during or due to military service.