Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2017

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development and need for a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has found that further evidentiary development is needed, including a VA examination to address the Veteran's claimed TBI and tinnitus disorders. The case will be remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be etiologically related to service, and therefore service connection for tinnitus has been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, with the evidence at least in equipoise as to their etiology.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and a new audiological opinion to determine the likely etiology of his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for tinnitus was received on November 17, 2014. The effective date for the grant of service connection is set at that time.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to various procedural issues and the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran meets the schedular requirement for a TDIU rating due to his service-connected disabilities, and based on his work experience and education, he is unemployable. The VA examiner concluded that the severity of the multiple service-connected disabilities render the Veteran incapable of obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is etiologically related to acoustic trauma sustained during active service and grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's right leg radicular symptoms are secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability. The Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are related to his military service, including noise exposure. The claim for service connection is granted.

The Board finds that the Veteran's tinnitus is likely related to his in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition. The claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss remains pending as there are no findings or determinations regarding it.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected as they are presumed to have been incurred due to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration of the Veteran's claims due to issues related to service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and a back disability.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals in the matters of reopening a claim for left knee disability, service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an ulcer; as well as rating increases for lumbar spine and right knee disabilities. As such, there are no remaining issues to be decided by the Board.

The Veteran's authorized representative withdrew his appeals for increased evaluations of PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus, as well as his claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied in March 2009. The RO later granted an effective date of June 1, 1973, for both conditions based on the addition of relevant service treatment records.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining missing medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, hearing loss, and tinnitus are being evaluated to determine if they make him unemployable.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not result from disease or injury incurred in service, and thus denied service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities did not manifest during service or to a compensable degree within one year of separation, and thus denied service connection for these conditions.