Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2016

The Veteran has been granted service connection for tinnitus, which is considered a direct result of noise exposure during military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of sufficient severity to preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment consistent with his educational background and occupational experience during the period when he was unemployed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus, hearing loss, and diabetes mellitus, type II are related to service. The claims for speech impairment, sinus disability, gastrointestinal disability, and psychiatric disability have been denied as there is no competent evidence of a current disability or nexus to service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral SNHL but granted service connection for tinnitus. The decision is mixed as some issues were granted and others were denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current tinnitus manifested during service and is related to his military duties, resulting in a favorable decision for service connection.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to provide the Veteran with an appropriate VA examination and adjudicate his claims of service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's claims for hearing loss, tinnitus, and a right foot disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional development including VA examinations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are etiologically related to in-service exposure to acoustic trauma, and thus service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, diabetes mellitus, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment since January 1, 2011.

The Board found no evidence of a current right ear hearing loss disability or tinnitus within one year of separation from service, and there is insufficient continuity of symptomatology to establish service connection. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss was noted at enlistment but not aggravated by active service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, a cervical spine disability, and an eye disorder. The other issues have been remanded due to incomplete development.

The appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant's authorized representative before a decision could be made.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining service personnel records and VA treatment records, as well as providing the Veteran with a VA examination to determine the etiology of his bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, sinus disability, and bilateral foot disability.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, while his PTSD is rated at 30 percent. The Board granted the Veteran's claims for service connection but denied his requests for increased evaluations.

The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise on whether the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his service, and grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his military service, and the claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was withdrawn by the Veteran prior to a decision being made.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current tinnitus cannot be reasonably disassociated from his active military service and grants entitlement to service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection effective November 6, 2008, which is earlier than the date of his original claim in August 1993.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, which includes symptoms of memory loss and speech impairment, is service-connected as secondary to his insomnia. The VA has granted a disability rating of 50 percent for this condition.