Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2016

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

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were granted service connection in March 2010, with an initial rating of 10% effective February 27, 2009. The Board found that the earliest claim for these conditions was received on February 27, 2009, which is later than the date entitlement arose (March 2010). Therefore, a higher effective date earlier than February 27, 2009 could not be granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral tinnitus is related to his service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claims for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus, finding that new evidence submitted since the final February 2004 rating decision establishes current disabilities. The Veteran is now entitled to service connection for these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service. Service connection was denied for a low back disability due to lack of evidence showing it is related to service.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be at least as likely as not related to his military service, including in-service noise exposure and a perforated left eardrum.,The Veteran currently suffers from Barrett's esophagus and GERD, which the Board finds is less likely than not caused by or related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and hearing loss were denied in September 2007, reopened and granted effective January 15, 2015.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, including acoustic trauma sustained during military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the lack of identification of an available VA medical facility for his service-connected bronchial asthma and other conditions. The case will be readjudicated based on this information.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are granted. He is found to have current diagnoses of herpes, residuals of a right hand injury, residuals of a head injury (including PTSD), and tinnitus that are at least as likely as not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current tinnitus is likely related to his period of service, and thus grants service connection for this condition. However, there is no evidence of a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss disability as defined by VA regulations.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus did not have their onset in service or within one year of his separation from service, and are not otherwise etiologically related to in-service noise exposure. Therefore, the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to his active service, thus granting his claims for service connection.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his right sciatic nerve paralysis and other conditions, contributed substantially to his death from an intracranial hemorrhage. As a result, the appeal is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board granted service connection for a left knee disorder (DJD) and migraine headaches, but denied the Veteran's claims for other conditions. The left knee DJD was found to be related to service due to its onset within one year of retirement from service. Migraine headaches were also found to be incurred in service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his ability to secure and maintain employment prior to March 22, 2013.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD alone has prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment since February 26, 2010. Additionally, the combination of his service-connected disabilities (including PTSD) has resulted in a combined schedular rating of 70 percent effective February 26, 2010.

The Veteran's claims for headaches, leg circulation problems, heart palpitations, nervous body system with slight tremors and seizures, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have all been denied as there is no competent evidence of a current disability during the course of his claim and appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy of both feet as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected Type II diabetes mellitus. The issue of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus is remanded due to insufficient evidence in the November 2010 VA examination report.