Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2014

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and insufficient verification of the appellant's claimed service. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus will be further developed.

The Board finds that the effective date for the grant of service connection for TBI with headaches should be October 1, 2006, but no earlier. The Veteran's original claim included symptoms later attributed to his TBI.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a chronic disability during service. The Veteran's complaints of these conditions began more than four decades after service separation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, specifically noise exposure. However, the claim for tinnitus is granted as there is credible evidence linking it to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to noise exposure during service, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The issue of bilateral hearing loss remains pending as there are insufficient records to determine its onset or relationship to service.

The Veteran's appeal of the claim for a compensable initial disability rating for service-connected headaches has been dismissed. The Board finds that he is entitled to service connection for tinnitus, as it is likely related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, rectal pain, and cerebrovascular accident were all denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service acoustic trauma, and the Board has determined that service connection is warranted for both conditions.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to new and material evidence. However, both the reopening of the claim for bilateral hearing loss and the original denial of tinnitus remain unchanged.

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

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new evidence received since the last final denial raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims. The Board then determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to his military noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to inadequate medical examination and opinion regarding his hearing loss and tinnitus, which he claims are related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for a lumbar spine disability due to conflicting medical opinions and insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed injury in service. The Veteran is also granted service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure or chronic symptoms post-service. The current disabilities are not considered to be related to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, including noise exposure. The evidence does not show a chronic disability during service or within one year of separation, and there is no medical opinion linking these conditions to in-service acoustic trauma.

The Board has remanded this case for further development, including obtaining the Veteran's active duty service records and requesting an addendum opinion from a VA audiologist.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disorder was previously denied in March 1995. New evidence submitted since that decision does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for myocardial infarction is denied as there is no medical evidence of record showing he had a myocardial infarction during or after military service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for memory loss is denied as there is no medical evidence of record showing he has memory loss disorder.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for status post cerebral vascular accident (CVA or stroke) is denied as the earliest documented CVA occurred more than 30 years after separation from military service.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied as there is no medical evidence of record showing he has these conditions.,There is no indication that any of the claimed disabilities were incurred in or related to military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if these conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected. The claims for arthritis of the joints, residual nerve pain, and low back disorder are denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his service or service-connected disabilities. The claim for left leg 'parethesis' is granted based on a medical report.