Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2014

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease. The current disabilities are not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to his in-service acoustic trauma, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran is granted an effective date of October 8, 2002 for the award of Total Disability Rating based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected depression and tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied service connection for a neck disability. The Veteran's current neck disability is not presumed to have been incurred in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is service-connected, with noise exposure in service being at least as likely a factor. Tinnitus was not addressed by the examiner and thus remains an issue for further review.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has been withdrawn. The case is being remanded to consider the issues of bilateral hearing loss and TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is entitled to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as both conditions are found to be etiologically linked to his active military service.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, and the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions likely preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the failure to schedule a videoconference hearing. His claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are still pending.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to incomplete service records and a need for additional medical examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus did not manifest during his active military service and is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to his active military service. The VA examiner determined that the current tinnitus was less likely than not caused by or a result of his military noise exposure.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no current disability for hearing loss and insufficient evidence linking tinnitus to service. The effective date of the grant of service connection for PTSD was set at April 28, 2003.

The Board has determined that another attempt should be made to schedule the Veteran for necessary VA examinations to assess the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities due to incomplete service records, including those from National Guard service and both periods of active duty. The case is also remanded to obtain dental treatment eligibility determinations.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected tinnitus is assigned a maximum 10 percent evaluation, which is the highest rating available under Diagnostic Code 6260 for recurrent tinnitus. The claim for an increased evaluation is denied as there is no legal basis to award separate evaluations for bilateral tinnitus.

The Board finds that the evidence supports a grant of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, as these conditions are at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure. The claim for residuals of an aneurysm or cerebrovascular accident (stroke), to include loss of vision, remains on appeal.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connection due to exposure to acoustic trauma during service.

The Board has determined that further development of the claim is needed due to an inadequate VA opinion. The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded for a new medical examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are as likely as not related to his active service, including exposure to loud noises during his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities meet the schedular percentage criteria for consideration under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a) and his claim is remanded due to a lack of an examination addressing the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.