Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2015

The Board found no credible evidence of the Veteran's exposure to herbicides in Korea, and thus denied service connection for COPD, hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo.

The Board has remanded the case to the AOJ for development due to conflicting medical evidence and need for another VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to appear for a scheduled videoconference hearing. His claims for service connection and initial disability rating remain pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including new VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of tinnitus, as well as current severity of his service-connected hypertension and right foot disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has been withdrawn. The effective date claim and the CUE claim are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims were dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of these claims.

The Board finds that the Veteran's tinnitus, skin disorder, and cyst on the kidney are all service-connected. The decision grants these claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing a combined effects opinion on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not file a claim for service connection prior to October 7, 2009. Therefore, the effective dates of the grants of service connection are denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical examination and evaluation of the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus claims.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have begun during his active duty service and has persisted since, warranting service connection.

The Veteran's tinnitus is considered a chronic disease under VA regulations and the Board has determined that it is related to active military service, granting her claim for service connection.

The Board finds that the Veteran's tinnitus is not related to his military service and therefore, he does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability, or that any present disabilities are related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to April 11, 2012, for service connection of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus are denied as there is no evidence of a claim filed before this date.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. The Veteran was exposed to loud noise during service, but did not exhibit chronic symptoms of tinnitus or continuous symptoms of a lung disability related to herbicide exposure. Tinnitus was not caused by service, while the gastrointestinal disorder is secondary to PTSD.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have current hearing loss or tinnitus disabilities as defined by VA regulations, and thus denied service connection for these conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, PTSD, and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD. The evidence does not support a current diagnosis of PTSD or any other mental health condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the failure to issue a Statement of the Case (SOC) for certain issues and rescheduling of a videoconference hearing.