Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2014

The Board has ordered the case back to the RO for readjudication, including consideration of a recent VA opinion. The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are pending.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability prevents him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's tinnitus claim has been reopened, and service connection is granted. Service connection for bilateral knee chondromalacia patella (patellofemoral syndrome) and degenerative disc disease at L5-L1 are also granted. The back disability claim is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not caused by noise exposure during service, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities due to in-service herbicide exposure, and for tinnitus. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records, schedule a VA examination, and readjudicate the TDIU claim. The issues of service connection for depression and increased evaluations for right ankle and bilateral knee disabilities are also being addressed.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his service, specifically the artillery fire operations he was involved in. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus have been reopened, and both conditions are now granted as they are related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to an issue with the hearing notification. The Board will attempt to schedule a videoconference hearing at the appropriate location.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's diagnosed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are attributed to his active duty service due to noise exposure. The Board has granted the claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is etiologically related to noise exposure during active service, while his tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is at least as likely as not related to his in-service noise exposure during active service, and thus grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected as they did not manifest during his active duty or within one year of separation, and there is no competent evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. The decision is mixed as it grants both conditions but does not specify the exact nature of the psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed for the issues of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral ankle disorder and vertigo and cephalgia due to withdrawal by the Veteran.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, residuals of a right ankle injury, blood clots of the right leg, migraines, hemoptysis (blood in sputum), and chondroma of the left ring finger. The decision was based on the lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus disabilities, and thus cannot establish service connection for these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are at least as likely as not incurred in service. The back disability and left hip disability have been remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to service, including exposure to noise during active duty. As such, service connection is granted for both conditions.