Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2015

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus and left ear hearing loss disability are related to in-service noise exposure, but denied service connection for right ear hearing loss disability, dental disorder, hypertension, low back disability, pes planus, and left eye disorder. The shin splints were resolved prior to filing of the claim.

The Board has remanded the case for additional examinations and opinions to address the Veteran's claims of service connection for various ear disorders, including bilateral ear disorder, left ear tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss. The examination reports must consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding his symptoms and continuity of symptoms since service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable, and the Board has granted a TDIU for the entire appellate period.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's report of its onset during service is credible. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence linking it to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination regarding the Veteran's tinnitus. The Veteran is seeking service connection for tinnitus, which he claims began during his military service and continues today.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for polyps in the colon, nose and throat were denied as there is no competent evidence of a current disability or a relationship to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need to obtain his service treatment records and to schedule a VA examination to determine the etiology of his hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertension.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service, with consideration of continuity of symptomatology. As such, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during active duty and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, as there is no evidence of in-service acoustic trauma or a compensable degree of hearing loss within one year post-service. The VA examiner found no link between current symptoms and service.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied. The Board found that the Veteran has tinnitus, which is attributable to active military service, but did not find evidence of hearing loss in service or within one year thereafter.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence of hearing loss disability in service and the current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran did not incur bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus during or as a result of service and his lay assertions regarding continuity of symptomatology were not credible.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including arthritis of multiple joints and coronary artery disease, rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to September 5, 2013.

The Board has found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are causally related to service, but his right shoulder and left shoulder disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus and denied service connection for left ear hearing loss and right ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to post-service noise exposure rather than in-service acoustic trauma.

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 for these conditions.

The Board finds that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is etiologically related to acoustic trauma sustained in active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for depression and granted a rating of 10 percent effective July 20, 2002. Service connection is also granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's service-connected Meniere's syndrome is rated at 100 percent, the highest possible rating under DC 6205, due to his frequent and severe attacks of vertigo and gait imbalance.