Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2016

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there was no evidence of such during service. The VA examinations did not find a nexus between his current conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including an appropriate VA examination to evaluate the severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability and insufficient medical opinion to establish a link between service and the claimed condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's pes planus existed prior to service and was not aggravated by any in-service injury, event or illness. Therefore, it denied service connection for bilateral pes planus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination, as the current opinion is inadequate.

The Board found that the appellant's hearing loss and tinnitus did not have their inception during his active service or for many years thereafter, and established that they are not causally related to his active service. Therefore, service connection was denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are found to be related to his active duty service, thus granting service connection for these conditions. Service connection is also granted for tinnitus. The claim of service connection for vertigo remains pending.

The Board denied an increased evaluation for bilateral hearing loss and found that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for tinnitus. The Veteran's appeal is now remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to issues regarding claimant substitution eligibility and the effective dates for service connection grants of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The case will be returned to the Board after contested claim procedures are completed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including her obstructive ventilator defect and residual scars from a thoracotomy, do not render her unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cervical spine disorder, low back disorder, and ischemic heart disease were denied. The claim for service connection for PTSD was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence. Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not found to be related to service or presumptively presumed under VA regulations.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be caused by in-service exposure to noise, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, large disc extrusion at L5-S1 (claimed as lower back pain), and numbness in the hands and fingers were denied. The Board found that there was no evidence of a current disability or a disease during the appeal period.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss has been denied as the disability picture is not outside what is contemplated by the schedular rating.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of traumatic brain injury result in the requirement of the aid and attendance of another person, necessitating special monthly compensation at the (t) rate.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, effective October 13, 2011. The TDIU claim was denied as the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and right shoulder disorder were denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability in any of these conditions.,For bilateral hearing loss, the VA examination revealed normal hearing sensitivity.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service acoustic trauma, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board found no evidence of in-service hearing loss or tinnitus, and concluded that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus) do not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against referral for extraschedular consideration.