Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2015

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss disability was not granted, as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus was also denied due to the maximum schedular rating already assigned.

The Veteran is granted service connection for tinnitus, as the evidence supports that it originated during his active service. The appeal for bilateral hearing loss disability was dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been granted, but the issue is dismissed due to the absence of a case or controversy.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service noise exposure and continuity of symptoms since service are sufficient to establish current disability. Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss due to conflicting medical opinions.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been granted. The AOJ is now tasked with addressing the remaining issues on appeal, including service connection for a hip disorder and PTSD, as well as higher ratings for PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims due to the submission of new evidence since the last Supplemental Statement of the Case.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and cold injury residuals of the upper and lower extremities have been granted. However, his requests for earlier effective dates than those assigned in the June 2005 and June 2001 rating decisions were not timely filed within a year of notification.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure, resulting in a grant of service connection for both conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current tinnitus is related to exposure to acoustic trauma in active service. The claims for PTSD and sleep apnea are remanded for further development.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for a right shoulder disability and granted service connection for tinnitus. The claims for bilateral knee disability and bilateral hearing loss are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable, and the Board grants a TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is causally related to his period of service, and thus grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to verify employment history, obtain private medical records, and provide an additional VA examination addressing the effects of his PTSD on his employability.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are found to have incepted during active duty service due to acoustic trauma experienced while serving in the Republic of Vietnam, and thus service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran experienced chronic hearing loss and tinnitus symptomatology during service, continuous after discharge, and currently has diagnosed disabilities. Therefore, service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for clarification on the extent of his service-connected low back disability and additional development of evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and conducting further evidentiary development.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during service. The claim is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure and noting a gap of over four years between discharge from service and first reported symptoms. The Board also found the Veteran's statements regarding continuity of symptomatology to be inconsistent with his prior silence on this issue.

The Veteran's service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus did not prevent him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment during the period from March 20, 2012 to March 26, 2014. Therefore, a TDIU was denied.