Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2014

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with noise exposure being a significant factor. Service connection is granted for both conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including retrieval of VA outpatient records and consideration of the March 2013 VA examination report.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus likely began during his period of military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and higher ratings were denied. The earlier effective date claims for peripheral neuropathy (PN) of the right lower extremity, left lower extremity, and SMC based on loss of use of a creative organ were also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been reopened, and both conditions are found to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and readjudicating the claims on appeal.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, type II diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, eye condition, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities are being remanded due to incomplete development. The AOJ will obtain additional evidence related to Agent Orange exposure and ensure that a VA examination is conducted for hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed before the claims on appeal can be decided, including obtaining clarifying opinions from a VA audiologist or otologist regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus did not occur in service and is not related to his military noise exposure. The claim for diabetes mellitus type II, claimed as a result of herbicide exposure, will be remanded due to incomplete information regarding Vietnam service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected as at least as likely as not caused by in-service noise exposure. His bilateral hearing loss has also been granted as service-connected due to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been reopened and is granted. The Board finds that the evidence supports a finding of service connection for tinnitus. For obstructive sleep apnea, the Board finds that there is not enough evidence to determine if it was caused by or related to service.

The appellant does not have recognized Federal service and therefore does not meet the requirements of basic eligibility for VA benefits. As a result, his claims are denied.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for tinnitus, which he claims began during his military service due to noise exposure. The VA examiner's opinion was inadequate as it did not consider the Veteran's statements about the onset of his tinnitus and did not provide sufficient rationale for its conclusion.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, adjustment disorder, and tinnitus have been rated as 100% disabling since July 24, 2007. The effective dates for the awards of TDIU, SMC based on housebound criteria, and eligibility to DEA benefits are all set at July 24, 2007.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability or tinnitus, and therefore cannot establish service connection for these conditions. The evidence is insufficient to link either condition to active military service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to potential errors in the examination reports, lack of STRs, and conflicting evidence regarding current disability status.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are at least as likely as not related to his military service. The increased rating claim for duodenal ulcer is also granted. However, further development is needed for the claims of service connection for diverticulitis/GERD and abdominal aneurysm.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA hearing evaluation reports and clinical records. The Veteran is seeking service connection for tinnitus, both as a direct result of service and secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinion in a previous VA audiology examination, and the Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being returned for further development.