Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2016

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and providing a VA medical opinion regarding whether service-connected disabilities aggravate tinnitus.

The Board found no evidence of a current right ear hearing loss disability meeting VA criteria and concluded that the Veteran did not have a chronic hearing loss or tinnitus during service, nor has he demonstrated continuity of symptoms since separation. Therefore, service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus do not preclude all forms of substantially gainful employment, thus a total disability rating based on individual unemployability is denied.

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

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The porphyria cutanea tarda with pyoderma, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and tinnitus are all rated at their maximum levels.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss are service-connected, as they are related to his in-service noise exposure. The claim for chronic bronchitis is also granted due to its association with military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims to reopen his service connection claims for diabetes mellitus type II, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The RO previously denied these claims in 2008 due to lack of evidence showing an in-service event or injury related to these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his service, resolving reasonable doubt in his favor. The skin disability is not yet established as being directly related to service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess whether these conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure.

The appeal is being remanded due to the Veteran's request for a video-conference hearing. No new evidence or decisions are provided.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral tinnitus has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated during his active military service, and thus denied both claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to October 23, 2008.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for a VA examination. The Veteran's claims will be reconsidered based on the additional evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment prior to February 8, 2011.

The Veteran has been unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment as a result of his service-connected disabilities since March 5, 2009.

The VA examiners found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus during service and the Veteran's current conditions are not linked to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder condition, tinnitus, and an initial compensable rating for left knee scar. The evidence did not support finding a nexus between any of these conditions and service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. For tinnitus, the Veteran's current condition is considered to be related to his in-service noise exposure. For bilateral hearing loss, there is no evidence of a nexus between the condition and service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of continuity of symptoms since service separation, absence of a diagnosis within one year post-service, and insufficient evidence linking these conditions to service.