Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2015

The Board has determined that a Statement of the Case must be issued for the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Veteran will have 60 days to file a substantive appeal or these claims will not be certified to the Board.

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

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, and carpal tunnel syndrome of the right hand. The Veteran's current conditions were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for osteoarthritis of the right and left knee, hearing loss, and tinnitus. High cholesterol and hypertension are not considered disabilities under VA law.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, particularly his PTSD, tinnitus and headaches, prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings have been denied as the current single 10 percent rating assigned to tinnitus, mechanical lumbar syndrome with recurrent lumbar strain, and sciatica are the maximum schedular evaluations permitted under VA rating criteria.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and determined that there is new and material evidence. The Board also found that his pre-existing hearing loss was aggravated by his military service, but concluded that he did not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of a permanent worsening.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, diabetes mellitus, and a left shoulder disorder. Service connection is denied for hyperlipidemia.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including arteriosclerotic coronary artery disease s/p stent placement, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), diabetes mellitus, type II, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure, granting service connection for these conditions.,Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as they are found to be directly related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability or tinnitus that is related to his military service. The evidence shows normal hearing upon entrance and separation from service, and there is no medical opinion linking any current hearing loss or tinnitus to service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the Veteran before a decision was made.

The Veteran's tinnitus warrants a compensable rating of 10 percent.,For his left and right knee disabilities, the current ratings of 30 percent are denied as they do not meet the criteria for higher evaluations.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for a VA examination to assess his ability to secure and maintain employment due to his service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease status post bypass graft, tinnitus, and hearing loss.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus and granted service connection based on in-service noise exposure.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical records and to provide the Veteran with a VA examination to determine if his hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have manifested within one year of military service and has continued intermittently since then, meeting the criteria for presumptive service connection. Service connection is granted for tinnitus.

The Board denied reopening the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied entitlement to service connection for tinnitus. The Veteran's request to reopen his claim was not supported by new and material evidence.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his in-service noise exposure.,Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, and thus these claims are denied.