Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2014

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, and tinnitus are being remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of his hearing disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to additional development being required, including obtaining outstanding VA treatment records and arranging for a new VA examination. The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are expected to be considered in determining his ability to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus did not begin during service and is not related to any in-service noise exposure. The VA examiner found no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's current tinnitus and his military service.

The Board found no evidence of current hearing loss or tinnitus disabilities, and the Veteran's lay statements were not credible. The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,There is no competent medical evidence linking any current tinnitus to service. The Veteran's self-reported history of persistent tinnitus since service was not supported by post-service treatment records. The claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed in order to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran will be scheduled for a VA examination, and all outstanding records will be obtained.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities is being remanded for further development, including obtaining updated VA medical records and conducting examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and secondary service connection for tinnitus, as both conditions are found to be related to his military noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for scheduling a video conference hearing. The Veteran's claims for service connection and reopening of his asbestosis claim are pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are service-connected as they are related to his in-service combat exposure to acoustic trauma.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his service, including exposure to noise from turbo-jet aircraft engines. As such, these conditions have been granted as being incurred in service.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than November 14, 2007 for the grant of service connection for tinnitus was denied. The Board found that no formal or informal claim prior to this date supported his claim. His bilateral hearing loss claim is remanded for further examination and development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and peripheral neuropathy associated with diabetes mellitus, prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's tinnitus claim should be remanded for further development, but is unable to make a decision on his bilateral hearing loss disability claim due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petitions to reopen his claims for service connection for alopecia, bilateral foot dermatitis, a stomach disability, hearing loss, and tinnitus. The claims are now reconsidered on their merits.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The issues of service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have not been decided.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are found to be related to his military service, with the Board granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for tinnitus has been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for clarification regarding the relationship between his current conditions and service. The VA examiner will be asked to convert the enlistment and separation pure tone thresholds from ASA units to ISO (ANSI) units.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions, including right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss (sensorineural), and tinnitus, were not incurred or aggravated by service. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service incurrence or aggravation for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.