Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2015

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder, respiratory disorder (sinusitis and allergic rhinitis), bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is etiologically related to acoustic trauma sustained in active service and grants his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and denied his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. For tinnitus, while the Veteran has been diagnosed with tinnitus, the VA examiner opined it is less likely than not caused by or a result of military noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for a Social and Industrial Survey to assess his employability given his service-connected disabilities, specifically PTSD and tinnitus. The ultimate determination of unemployability will be made by the adjudicator based on the functional impairment caused solely by these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not manifest during service or are otherwise related to service, thus denying his claims for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities did not originate during his military service, as there was no evidence of a significant shift in puretone thresholds during his period of service. The VA examiner concluded that these conditions are not related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension, and thus service connection for this condition is denied. The remaining issues are also denied as there is no evidence of chronic conditions during or within one year after service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's TBI residuals have resulted in a score of no more than '1' on the table for Evaluation of Cognitive Impairment and Other Residuals of TBI Not Otherwise Classified, resulting in an initial rating in excess of 10 percent not being met.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal regarding the issue of service connection for tinnitus.

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

The Veteran's tinnitus was related to hazardous noise exposure during his second period of active duty service. His hearing loss and back condition were not related to service, while the claim for residuals of dengue fever is denied due to lack of evidence of residuals at any time during the appeals period. The skin cancer claim remains pending.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. However, the claims were not granted as there is no causal relationship between the current disabilities and service.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and counseling evaluation folder. The inextricably intertwined psychiatric disorder claim will also be adjudicated.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus originated during active service and granted service connection for this condition. The hearing loss issue is pending as it was not addressed in detail.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records from the Veteran's primary care physician. The claims are not yet decided.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for traumatic brain injury, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to a lack of evidence showing that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service. The Veteran's in-service drug overdose is considered the cause of his current disabilities.

The Veteran's tinnitus and cervical spine spondylosis have been granted service connection, with the tinnitus having its onset in service. The initial rating for cervical spine disability is set at 10 percent.

The Veteran's death was not directly related to service-connected conditions, and the appeal is being remanded for additional development.