Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2015

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to his military service, including exposure to noise from weaponry fire. As such, the appeal for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is causally related to noise exposure during active service, and thus grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy of multiple extremities, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain any form of gainful employment from February 25, 2010, to November 8, 2012.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his in-service noise exposure. The claim of an increased rating for prostate cancer residuals is remanded due to lack of recent medical records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus was incurred in service and granted service connection for this condition. The hearing loss disability is also considered to have been incurred during service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus render him unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment, meeting the criteria for a total disability rating on the basis of individual unemployability.

The Veteran's claims for right foot disability, tinnitus, GERD, and onychomycosis of the toenails were not received by VA within one year after separation from service. Therefore, effective dates prior to May 19, 2011 are denied.,A 10 percent rating was granted for left foot disability with an effective date of May 19, 2011.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the right knee, bilateral foot disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability or in-service injury that could be linked to these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not caused by his in-service noise exposure, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's service connection for PTSD and associated benefits were granted effective July 21, 2001.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus do not relate to service, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or any chronic symptoms during service. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's hearing problems are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus was present within a year of discharge from service, meeting the criteria for presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD has rendered him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment, meeting the criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in service, as there is no evidence of these conditions during his active duty. The Board finds that the current diagnoses are not related to service.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his active duty service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there was no evidence of a nexus between his in-service noise exposure and his post-service symptoms. The claims for service connection were therefore denied.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn before the Board could issue a decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus did not manifest within one year of service, and there is no evidence to support a direct relationship between these conditions and his military service. The Veteran's assertions regarding in-service noise exposure are not supported by contemporaneous medical records.