Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2016

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining service treatment records and verifying his periods of active duty and inactive duty training. A VA examination will also be scheduled to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine. The appeals regarding tinnitus and hearing loss have been withdrawn by the Veteran.

The VA Board has determined that the Veteran's preexisting right ear hearing loss did not increase in severity during service, and thus cannot be considered aggravated by service. As a result, the claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and an audiological evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's failure to appear at his scheduled hearing and because of a need to determine his current address.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and is not causally related to military noise exposure. As a result, service connection for tinnitus was denied.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. However, his claims for diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,There is no diagnosis of diabetes or hypertension found in the medical records.

The Veteran's request for a videoconference hearing before the Board has not been scheduled, and he is being remanded to do so.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and left ear hearing loss are related to his military service, but there is no current right ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected lumbar spine disability has been granted, with the assigned rating of 20 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to military noise exposure. The decision also grants service connection for tinnitus as secondary to service-connected right ear hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his service, as evidenced by noise exposure during service. The preponderance of evidence supports a finding that these conditions began in service and have persisted since.

The Board has found that the Veteran's tinnitus manifested in service and is related to military noise exposure, thus granting service connection for tinnitus. The psychiatric disability claim remains pending as it was not addressed by the RO.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including low back disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, skin disorder (due to exposure to Agent Orange), acute myositis of the quadriceps, peripheral neuropathy, heart disorder, hemorrhage of blood vessels in the brain, cerebral vascular accident/TIA, and bilateral eye disorder have been denied. The Board found that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for numbness of the feet, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Board found that there was no evidence to support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and tinnitus have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has determined that a TDIU is warranted.

The Veteran was found to be unemployable due to service-connected disabilities prior to June 1, 2015. However, for the period from June 1, 2015, his combined disability rating did not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU and the case is referred to VA's Compensation Service for consideration under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b).

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and coronary artery disease have been dismissed. The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as osteoarthritis of the bilateral hips.

The Veteran's current tinnitus had its onset within a year of separation from service, and the Board finds that it is service-connected. The neck disability claim will be remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to address the nature and etiology of his recurrent tinnitus as well as current severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.