Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2017

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent since July 20, 2009. The Tinnitus is rated at 10 percent. The Veteran does not meet the criteria for a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have had its onset in service and persisted since, warranting service connection. The issue of bilateral hearing loss remains pending as additional evidence is needed.

The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal regarding the claims for service connection for Meniere's disease and obesity, leaving their VA disability as is.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and failure to consider presumptive service connection for a chronic multisymptom illness.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, and the case is dismissed.

The Board has found that the evidence is at least in equipoise that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for tinnitus. The issue of bilateral hearing loss remains pending.

The VA has determined that the appellant's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional information and evidence, including VA examinations for his claimed bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and low back disability. The issues of service connection are pending.

The Board has granted an effective date of July 13, 2005 for the grant of service connection for tinnitus. This is based on newly discovered service records indicating that the Veteran experienced noise-induced hearing loss with tinnitus in October 2005.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected as they were incurred during his active duty in Vietnam, where he was exposed to loud noise from artillery firing. The VA examiner concluded that the current hearing impairment is not due to events in service.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity are now rated at 40 percent effective May 5, 2017.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for type II and type I diabetes, bilateral hand disability, low back disability, right knee disability, right hip disability, bilateral wrist disability, and neurological disorder of the lower extremities have been denied as there is no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents or a link between these conditions and service. The Veteran's claims for increased rating for onychomycosis and dental disorder are dismissed due to withdrawal by the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service acoustic trauma, and service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his service and grants this claim. The appeal for tinnitus was withdrawn by the Veteran during his August 2017 hearing.

The Board found that the Veteran's Meniere's disease, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are not related to service.,Service connection was denied for all three conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no current disability as defined by VA regulation. The Veteran was not diagnosed with a hearing loss disability in either ear, nor did he have any evidence of noise exposure during service or within one year after discharge.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to pursue and maintain gainful employment.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus did not manifest during service or within one year of separation and is not otherwise related to his military service, thus denying his claim for service connection.