Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2014

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure, thus granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus was a pre-existing condition and not aggravated by service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues related to his hearing loss, gastrointestinal conditions, knee and elbow disabilities, as well as secondary service connection claims. The case is being remanded for a Travel Board hearing and issuance of a Statement of the Case on severance of service connection for hearing loss and secondary service connection for low back, right hip, and left hip disabilities.

The Board has withdrawn the appeal for entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea. The Veteran's tinnitus was incurred as a result of active service, and his right elbow disorder is not shown to have developed as a result of service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for tinnitus, hearing loss, or hemorrhoids due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the appellant's tinnitus is a result of noise exposure during ACDUTRA and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a videoconference hearing at the RO. The issues of service connection for tinnitus and an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss are pending.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by his active duty military service. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against the claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including skin cancer, bilateral hearing loss, painful scars associated with skin cancer, tinnitus, and right hand arthritis, do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's application for Service-Disabled Veterans Insurance (RH) was denied as it was not filed within the required two-year period from when he was notified of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to acoustic trauma during service and grants the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is etiologically related to service, and therefore grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus were denied in April 2005. The RO granted the claims on October 23, 2008, with an effective date of that day. The Veteran appealed this decision, but did not file a timely notice of disagreement or submit new evidence within one year. As such, the effective date cannot be earlier than October 23, 2008.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's request for a Travel Board hearing at the RO. The appeal is currently pending and will be handled in an expeditious manner.

The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus, which are diagnosed conditions, and his service, including noise exposure. Therefore, service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Veteran's current tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are found to be related to service, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Board hearing by live videoconference. The issues of service connection for pulmonary fibrosis, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and tinnitus are still under consideration.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for all issues listed, including the claims for initial ratings and service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a spine disability due to lack of current disabilities as defined by VA regulations.