Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are of service origin, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation since July 27, 2010. The Board granted TDIU for this period.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for updated evaluations of his service-connected left ankle Charcot foot, diabetes mellitus with peripheral neuropathy, hearing loss, and tinnitus. The VA will request any additional medical records from 2010 onwards and schedule examinations to assess the current severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, the highest schedular rating available. The Board also granted a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is a result of his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connected. The Veteran is also granted a 10 percent rating for his fractured nose, status-post septorhinoplasty.

The Board has denied service connection for right ear hearing loss due to the absence of a current disability as defined by VA regulations. The Veteran's claim for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus is remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, but denied all other claims as new and material evidence was not received to reopen the claims.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his military service. However, there is no current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss that meets VA criteria for a disability.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding new and material evidence. However, both conditions were denied as there is no credible evidence linking the current disabilities to active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD. The Veteran's claims of tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded due to incomplete records from his National Guard service. The VA needs to obtain all relevant personnel and treatment records, including those related to periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA).

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, residuals of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, neck disability, sleep apnea, bladder condition (incontinence), and erectile dysfunction, have been denied. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to active service or events therein.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation prior to July 21, 2008.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus. The Veteran's history of noise exposure in service is consistent with his service as an assaultman, and his statements regarding the onset of his tinnitus are credible. Therefore, service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus were incurred or caused by his active duty service. As a result, the claim for service connection for both conditions is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran currently has a current diagnosis of tinnitus, and based on credible lay statements concerning the onset and continuity of tinnitus in service, the criteria for service connection are met. Service connection is granted for tinnitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension, tinnitus, a cervical spine disorder, a left shoulder disorder, and a bilateral hip disorder. The evidence did not establish direct service connection for these conditions.