Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2015

The Board has remanded the claims for a lumbar spine disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus to be reviewed by a Decision Review Officer (DRO) due to the Veteran's request for de novo review. The PTSD claim is also being remanded for DRO review.

The Board found that a current thoracolumbar spine disability was not present until many years after separation from active duty and is unrelated to service. The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were also determined to be unrelated to service.

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

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have been shown to prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, warranting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and dizziness associated with his left ear acoustic neuroma had its clinical onset during a period of active service. Therefore, the appeal for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not make him permanently bedridden or unable to care for his daily needs without requiring the regular aid and attendance of another person. The Veteran does not have a single service-connected disability rated at 100 percent with separate service-connected disabilities ratable at 60 percent or better, nor is he permanently confined to his immediate premises as a result of service-connected disabilities. Therefore, the criteria for SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person or by reason of being housebound have not been met.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations and the retrieval of relevant medical records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a Board videoconference hearing. The issues of service connection and rating for various conditions are pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine if his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, including in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. No service connection decisions were made for the claimed conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Board found that there was no evidence showing a nexus between these conditions and his military service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are not related to his in-service noise exposure, thus denying service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability in his right ear, and the VA examiner found that any hearing loss or tinnitus was not related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining outstanding medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the etiology of his hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is established as service-connected. The claims for left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo are also granted as secondary to the service-connected right ear hearing loss.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for a seizure disorder. The Veteran's assertions regarding in-service noise exposure from jet engines are credible, and his tinnitus is considered competent and credible lay evidence of its onset during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active duty service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain and maintain gainful employment consistent with his education, training, and work experience.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with the exception of the validity of the audiogram results in November 2012. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence supports a finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus were incurred during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new and material evidence was not received to reopen his claims. The VA examinations did not show a current disability at the time of the examination.