Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2013

The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to service and denied the Veteran's claims for left ear pain, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was insufficient evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as there is no current disability that can be linked to her in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination and consideration of whether referral to the Director of Compensation and Pension may be necessary.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and tinnitus, were found to be severe enough to prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to February 10, 2011. However, the criteria for a TDIU before that date were not met due to his combined disability rating being less than 60%.

The Board finds that the Veteran's tinnitus was incurred in service due to exposure to loud noise from tank gun blasts during training exercises. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current tinnitus is related to his active service, and thus granted service connection for tinnitus. The decision on bilateral hearing loss remains pending as it was addressed in a separate remand.

The Board found that the non-VA medical treatment provided on June 25, 2009 was not authorized by VA and did not meet the criteria for emergency treatment. Therefore, payment or reimbursement of the expenses is denied.

The Board found no evidence of in-service hearing loss or tinnitus, and the Veteran's current conditions are not presumed due to exposure to noise. The claim for service connection was denied as there is no direct evidence linking his current conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to obtain VA and private treatment records, as well as a VA examination. The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus will be remanded.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence is against a finding that either condition is related to his service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are due to noise exposure during service, with conflicting medical opinions resulting in a finding of equipoise. As such, service connection is granted for both conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a Travel Board hearing at the Waco RO due to his request for rescheduling after he was hospitalized with injuries from a motor vehicle accident.

The Board denied an extraschedular rating for hearing loss and found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from obtaining substantially gainful employment, thus denying a TDIU.

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

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than March 1, 2009 for payment of additional compensation for his current spouse. The decision was based on the fact that notice of his marriage to his current spouse was not received at the RO within one year of their marriage or prior to February 10, 2009.

The Veteran's service-connected tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been rated based on their current severity. The initial evaluation for tinnitus is at the maximum allowed, while an increased rating above 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss up to May 4, 2009, was denied.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have current hearing loss or tinnitus related to service, including exposure to cold and noise. The preponderance of evidence is against a finding that these conditions are etiologically related to service.

The Board has determined that the appellant's tinnitus is caused by his service-connected hearing loss in the left ear, and thus grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against finding service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as there is no in-service noise exposure documented and current disabilities are not related to military service.