Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2014

The Veteran's tinnitus has been granted service connection. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral knee disabilities are remanded.

The Veteran's tinnitus is established as service-connected due to his bilateral hearing loss. The claims for initial compensable evaluation of bilateral hearing loss, service connection for left knee disability, and right knee disability are granted.

The Board found that service connection for tinnitus is granted, but denied service connection for right ear and left ear hearing loss as the evidence did not support a finding of in-service noise exposure or current disability.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The cases are being remanded for further development, including a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims of increased evaluations for hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as service connection for ischemic heart disease were granted with an effective date of May 30, 2008. The decision also found that the October 2008 denial of these claims contained clear and unmistakable error (CUE).

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's preexisting hearing loss worsened during his active duty. Service connection was denied for tinnitus due to lack of credible evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as the evidence is in equipoise, with a causal relationship to noise exposure during active duty.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were incurred during his active military service, thus granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, including exposure to noise during basic training. As a result, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to address the accuracy of the audiometric testing and to obtain an updated opinion regarding the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding his claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and tinea pedis. The AOJ will arrange for a medical examination to determine if any current skin disorders are related to service, including those diagnosed during active duty. Additionally, an opinion from the examiner who provided the July 2011 VA audiology examination will be sought regarding whether hearing loss and/or tinnitus are of service onset or otherwise related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a new examination to address the Veteran's exposure to acoustic trauma during service and his assertions of hearing loss beginning in service.

The Board finds that the cause of the Veteran's death is not related to his service-connected disabilities, including bilateral knee arthritis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected as they are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including cold injury residuals of the feet and hands, as well as tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case for further action, including scheduling a hearing before a traveling member of the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current disability of hearing loss or tinnitus related to his active service, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure causing these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss had its onset in service and is related to his exposure to traumatic noise, thus granting service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's right and left ear hearing loss disabilities are found to be related to his period of active service.,The Veteran's preexisting left ear hearing loss disability was aggravated by his period of active service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and arranging for a comprehensive examination to assess his ability to work given his service-connected disabilities.