Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2015

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus and cervical spine disability are service-connected due to exposure to noise during service, with no in-service diagnosis or chronic symptoms. The current diagnoses of tinnitus and degenerative joint disease were considered presumptively related to service.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine condition, neurological condition of the bilateral upper extremities, and tinnitus as there was no evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active service.

The Board has determined that the issues of service connection for hypertension, skin cancer, multi-myeloma cancer, hearing loss, and tinnitus must be remanded due to incomplete development. The Veteran's claims are inextricably intertwined with his claim for hypertension.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as to ensure all relevant evidence is considered in the decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, and therefore denied both claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are directly related to his military service, with exposure to noise during his time as an aircraft mechanic. The evidence supports this conclusion.

The September 2005 decision granting service connection for hearing loss was found to be clearly and unmistakably erroneous, resulting in an effective date of November 10, 2004.,Service connection for tinnitus was granted prior to April 27, 2012.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to service, with the benefit of doubt being resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for tinnitus. The Veteran's current tinnitus is presumed to have been incurred in service.

The Veteran's appeal includes claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as a TDIU. The case is being remanded to the AOJ due to incomplete development of these issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus that was incurred in service and is therefore denied service connection for these conditions.

The Board finds that the Veteran's tinnitus is at least as likely as not caused by or a result of military noise exposure, and service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Veteran was granted service connection for tinnitus, but denied service connection for hearing loss as there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are attributable to service, meeting the criteria for direct service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and an addendum opinion from the September 2012 VA examiner to address the nature and etiology of his bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities precluded substantially gainful employment prior to January 19, 2012. TDIU was granted for this period.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain clarification on the relationship between the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus and his military service, including noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to August 24, 2012 for service connection of right elbow tendonitis, right wrist strain, left wrist fracture, and tinnitus are not warranted as there is no credible evidence indicating a formal or informal claim was filed with VA before this date.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected as they did not develop during his active duty service. The evidence does not show an increase in severity of pre-existing hearing loss due to noise exposure during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active military service, including exposure to acoustic trauma. As a result, the claims for service connection have been granted.