Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2016

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed psychiatric disorder, bilateral foot disorder, and tinnitus. Service connection was also denied for a low back disorder and headaches (claimed as residuals of a broken nose).

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for the claims of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus, obstructive sleep apnea, and vertigo.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is unrelated to any current disability. The claims for higher ratings for asthma, lumbar spine intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative disc disease and arthritis, right lower extremity sciatic nerve impairment, left lower extremity sciatic nerve impairment, and bilateral foot sprain are denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus were noted, but there was no nexus established between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have a positive nexus with service, warranting service connection. The claims for right shoulder condition and left shoulder condition were withdrawn by the Veteran during his July 2015 Board hearing. Service connection for cervical spine disorder is remanded due to lack of an examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain missing medical records and arrange for a new VA examination. The case will be reconsidered after these actions are completed.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to service. The Veteran's exposure to noise during service is established, and his contentions of current symptoms since service have been considered.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus based on continuous symptoms since service separation.

The Board has denied the claims for service connection for bronchial asthma, back disorder, plantar wart of the right foot, hypertension, heart disorder, and tinnitus due to a finding that the character of discharge barred VA benefits. The remaining issues are being remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to noise exposure during his military service, and the Board has granted service connection for both conditions.

The Board has granted the Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions had their onset in service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as there was no competent evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active military service, nor may they be presumed to have been so incurred.,The Veteran's prostate disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's brain tumor was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service and is not etiologically related to service, including exposure to Agent Orange. His bilateral hearing loss originated during service, but his tinnitus did not originate during service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which are service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's credible assertions of ringing in his ears during and after active service establish chronicity of the condition which was later diagnosed as tinnitus. Service connection is also granted for bilateral tinnitus.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and a vocational rehabilitation specialist examination to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's current tinnitus is related to his military service, specifically in-service noise exposure. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise on the nexus element and grants service connection for tinnitus.