Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2013

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that both conditions are at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's military service. The decision also notes conflicting opinions of VA audiologists but affirms the positive nexus opinion from a private audiologist.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss and service connection for PTSD. The effective dates were not addressed in this decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence showing in-service acoustic trauma or chronic symptoms within one year post-service. The VA examiner diagnosed bilateral hearing loss but not tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to inadequate examination reports. The case will be returned to the RO for further development.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain relevant VA treatment records and to provide the Veteran with a medical examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's tinnitus, bilateral pes planus, and low back disorder are found to be related to service. However, the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral shin splints or hypertension.

The Board has ordered additional development of the Veteran's claims due to incomplete service treatment records and unavailability of medical records from his incarceration. The case is REMANDED for these actions.

The Board found no evidence of a current hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

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

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address his claims of service connection and evaluations for various conditions, including tinnitus, diverticular disease, PTSD, COPD with sleep apnea, and coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and tinnitus, do not render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to April 5, 2013.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of his conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical opinions and ensuring all relevant evidence has been considered.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the current disabilities are at least as likely as not due to exposure to noise during active service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated as noncompensable prior to April 17, 2013 and at 20 percent from that date. The Veteran is not entitled to a higher rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability.,For tinnitus, the Veteran is currently assigned a single 10% evaluation which is the maximum authorized under Diagnostic Code (DC) 6260.

The Veteran's tinnitus, asbestosis, and diabetes mellitus type 2 (diabetes) were all found to be related to service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, specifically due to exposure to loud noise during active duty. As a result, these conditions have been granted service connection.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to ensure the Veteran receives every possible consideration, including obtaining missing service treatment records and arranging for a VA examination.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, as there is no evidence of chronic symptoms in service or within one year after separation. The weight of the evidence does not support a finding of continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board finds that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military noise exposure, granting service connection for these conditions.