Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2014

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and obstructive sleep apnea, but the issues of service connection for hyperlipidemia, ear disorder to include vertigo, acquired psychiatric disorder to include a compulsive disorder and depression have been dismissed due to withdrawal by the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, with noise exposure being a contributing factor. The claim for dental trauma is denied as there is no evidence of a pre-service injury or disease.,Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including verification of periods of active duty and National Guard service, and a new opinion regarding the etiology of his tinnitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and residuals of a right shoulder injury due to lack of evidence of current disabilities or etiological links.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was reopened and granted. The Board found that the Veteran had current tinnitus due to in-service noise exposure.,For the other conditions, the evidence did not establish a nexus between the disabilities and service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is sufficient to establish a nexus between these conditions and active duty service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is causally related to his in-service noise exposure and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and found it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's current tinnitus began during active service. The effective date of TDIU remains under review, with a request to refer the issue to the Director of Compensation and Pension (C&P) for extra-schedular consideration.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and pulmonary disorder. The Veteran's tinnitus is related to his active service, but his bilateral hearing loss and pulmonary disorder are not related to service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his military service, and the Board grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, tinnitus, and an increased rating for PTSD were denied. The claim for headaches was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence. The claim for a higher rating for tinnitus is also denied as the maximum schedular evaluation has been assigned.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current multiple joint complaints, including reactive arthritis and tinnitus, are related to service. The claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The claim for service connection will be reconsidered after obtaining a new medical opinion.

The Veteran's tinnitus and peripheral neuropathy are service-connected, with tinnitus related to noise exposure in service and peripheral neuropathy presumed due to Agent Orange exposure. The Veteran's PTSD is also service-connected.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and a sensorineural hearing loss may not be presumed to have been so incurred.,With reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran, tinnitus was incurred in service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to service exposure.

The Board denied service connection for status-post low back injury, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence showing a link between his current conditions and active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for an extension of the delimiting date beyond June 16, 2009 for educational assistance benefits under Chapter 30 (Montgomery GI Bill) was denied as there is no clear evidence that his physical or mental disabilities prevented him from initiating or completing his chosen program of education during his eligibility period.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, recurrent tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and therefore the claim for service connection for the cause of his death is denied.