Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2015

The evidence shows that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

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

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his request for a hearing, and the claim will be returned to the AOJ for further action.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA vocational rehabilitation records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to his active service, and he was granted service connection for this condition. The hearing loss issue remains pending as a separate claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his employability. Additional VA examinations are needed, as well as obtaining outstanding treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's self-diagnosis of tinnitus during service is credible and competent. The decision resolves all doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service, granting him service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a neurologic disorder (claimed as Parkinson's disease or tremors) is pending and not decided.,Service connection has been granted for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have hearing loss or tinnitus that is attributable to service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current bilateral tinnitus had its onset during his active duty and is attributable to in-service noise exposure. The issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) remains pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not have their clinical onset during service or within one year of either period of active duty, and thus cannot be presumed to have been incurred therein. The VA examiner found no evidence of permanent hearing loss in either ear until after both periods of active service, and concluded that any current hearing loss is less likely related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for back disability and hearing loss disability. The claim for tinnitus was granted, but only as a result of resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be etiologically related to noise exposure during active duty service, and therefore service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by his service, including noise exposure during active duty. The preponderance of evidence is against finding these conditions related to his military service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, but has decided that her claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not warranted based on the evidence of record. The issues have been REMANDED to allow further development.

The Veteran's claim to reopen service connection for PTSD has been granted. The Board also found that the Veteran has tinnitus, but it is not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no medical evidence linking these conditions to in-service noise exposure. The VA and VHA opinions found no evidence of acoustic trauma or significant auditory threshold shift during active duty.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus and hypertension were not incurred in or aggravated by his period of active military service, nor may they be presumed to have been so incurred.,The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is likely as not related to noise exposure during his period of active military service. The Veteran's chronic tinnitus is also likely as not related to noise exposure during his period of active military service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine are denied.