Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2015

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected as they were caused by noise exposure during his active military service.,However, the Board found insufficient evidence to support a finding of service connection for the low back disorder due to an injury sustained while on active duty.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to service and granted service connection for this condition. The claim for bilateral hearing loss remains pending as it was not addressed in the decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and hearing loss are service-connected, but his bilateral ankle disability, neck pain, skin cancer, and other conditions do not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his service, including exposure to acoustic trauma during combat in the Korean War. Therefore, both conditions have been granted service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss is related to his noise exposure during service and has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, resolving doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as the evidence is in equipoise, with no significant preponderance of the evidence against the claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including brain cyst, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, headaches, fibromyalgia, cervical spine degenerative disc disease, and bilateral tinnitus, preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active duty service, including noise exposure. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder, upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and erectile dysfunction. The evidence did not show a causal relationship between these conditions and service.

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

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation since January 1, 2011.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to his in-service noise exposure, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus in January 2007. The Veteran's claims were not reopened, as new and material evidence was not presented to support these claims. Service connection for a right shoulder disability was also denied.

The Board has remanded the case for a Travel Board hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO in St. Petersburg, Florida due to the Veteran's request and the need to reschedule his previously scheduled hearing.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss disability is not service-connected due to lack of evidence showing an increase in severity during service and no credible evidence linking post-service symptoms to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA audiologist.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and a left knee condition, finding that there is no current disability or evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is etiologically related to service and the Board finds that it meets the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's current hearing loss, tinnitus and neck disability are reasonably shown to be related to service. The Board grants the claims for these conditions.