Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during active service. The issue of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD, which is inextricably intertwined with the tinnitus issue, will be remanded for further action.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are attributable to his active service, thus granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for right and left ear hearing loss, as well as tinnitus, were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating than the current 50% for each ear of hearing loss and 10% for tinnitus.

The Board has found that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his active service and granted service connection for this condition. The decision on bilateral hearing loss disability will be remanded as it requires additional development.

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

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service noise exposure, as there is no evidence of an onset in service or within a reasonable time after active duty. The preponderance of the evidence supports denial of these claims.

The Board finds that the Veteran has established service connection for tinnitus due to noise exposure during active duty, but there is no evidence of hearing loss in service or a current disability. The Veteran's hearing loss claim cannot be granted as it lacks a nexus to his military service.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine if the Appellant can be substituted as a claimant for her deceased husband's pending claims. If substitution is denied, the AOJ will readjudicate the Veteran's pending claims for accrued benefits purposes only. If substitution is granted, the AOJ should provide adequate notice and conduct any additional development deemed necessary.

The Veteran met the schedular criteria for a TDIU as of May 18, 2009, and his service-connected disabilities precluded him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal of the issue of service connection for recurrent tinnitus before a decision was made.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to his service, specifically his exposure to noise on the flight deck during active duty. The Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not manifest during or as a result of his military service, and thus denied these claims. For the lumbar condition, the Board determined there was no evidence of continuity of symptomatology from service to present, and therefore denied this claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including cervical spine and upper extremity conditions, render him unemployable due to his physical limitations.

The Veteran's claim for payment of medical expenses incurred at Banner Gateway Medical Center from March 18 to March 20, 2013 is granted as he met the criteria for reimbursement under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1725.

Service connection is granted for headaches and tinnitus.,Prostate cancer service connection is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, effective from the date of the October 2016 rating decision.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for left ear sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus. The Board finds that the current disabilities are related to exposure to acoustic trauma during active service.,Service connection is pending for right ear sensorineural hearing loss.

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

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are due to acoustic trauma incurred during his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus had their onset during service, meeting the criteria for service connection.