Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2014

The Board has determined that service connection is not warranted for any of the conditions listed, as there was no in-service injury or event related to these conditions and the Veteran does not have confirmed exposure to Agent Orange or other tactical herbicide agents within the meaning of 38 C.F.R. § 3.307.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to an address issue, and he will be given the opportunity for a video conference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are due to noise exposure in service, specifically from a gas stove explosion. As such, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service and granted service connection for this condition. The hearing loss claim was also granted as it can be reasonably inferred from the evidence that the Veteran experienced noise exposure during service, leading to current hearing impairment.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be etiologically related to his active duty service, with the Board giving him the benefit of the doubt.

The Veteran's combined disability rating does not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU. The Board finds that referral to the Director of Compensation and Pension Services is warranted as the Veteran is unemployed due to non-service connected disabilities, not his service-connected PTSD, tinnitus, or right eye disorder.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are found to be etiologically related to acoustic trauma sustained in active service, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence did not meet the criteria for current disability in any of these conditions as defined by VA regulations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with all doubts resolved in favor of the Veteran.

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 a current disability or a relationship between active service and these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information in the January 2010 VA audiology examiner's report regarding the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus. The Veteran's claims for service connection are being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his service, and therefore grants service connection for tinnitus. The decision on bilateral hearing loss is pending as it requires additional development.

The Board has found that further development is needed for VA to fulfill its duties under the VCAA, including securing missing VA outpatient treatment reports and obtaining an addendum medical opinion regarding the Veteran's tinnitus claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, CLL, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities have been denied as there is no evidence that these conditions are related to his active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected, but the claims for bilateral hearing loss and fecal incontinence need further development as they may be related to service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn for the issues of entitlement to a higher initial rating for adjustment disorder and service connection for a bilateral hand/finger disability. The claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted as it began during service due to noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his withdrawal of claims for right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss. The reduction of the rating for back disability from 40% to 20% is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for further development regarding his National Guard service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral knee disabilities resulted from injuries sustained during a period of inactive duty training in April 1997. Service connection for these conditions is granted.