Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and will provide a supplemental statement of the case if any decision is adverse.

The Board finds that the Veteran's tinnitus began during his active service and grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has found that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and PTSD. The Veteran's current diagnoses of tinnitus and PTSD are supported by credible evidence, including his own statements and medical opinions from VA clinicians.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for a hearing loss and tinnitus examination as well as a PTSD examination.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his active service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has decided that the VA examination provided in February 2012 did not adequately address the Veteran's statements about his in-service exposure to noise and difficulty hearing, and thus remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than November 19, 2012 for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted. The effective date for hearing loss is September 16, 1999, and the effective date for tinnitus is April 23, 2001.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability and tinnitus have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The Board has determined that tinnitus is likely related to service, but the claim for left knee disability remains pending as additional development is needed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were incurred in service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete information and need for a comprehensive examination of the Veteran's employment capacity given his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as a rating in excess of 40 percent for his degenerative disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome and chronic lumbar strain. The effective date for TDIU was established based on the Veteran's last day of work prior to retirement.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus. An initial rating of 30 percent prior to May 13, 2014, and a higher than 30 percent rating for GERD are granted. The Veteran's residuals of heat stroke do not warrant a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was received to reopen the claim of service connection for tinnitus. The Veteran's current diagnosis of tinnitus is supported by his consistent lay statements regarding the onset of ringing in his ears during military service, which he reported continued intermittently throughout his Reserve service. The Board finds that the Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during his military service and grants service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's reports of loud noise exposure during active duty are credible and establishing chronicity of the condition. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of in-service aggravation.

The Board has found that the Veteran's current tinnitus is related to his in-service exposure to noise from weapons fire. Service connection for tinnitus is granted. The claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss remains pending and will be remanded for additional development.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for heart disability, right knee disability, and right plantar and calcaneal spurs. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service noise exposure leading to current tinnitus, but no direct or presumptive link between his current heart disability and Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with the exception of his right ankle and left ankle disabilities. The Board found that the Veteran has credible reports of continuous headaches since service, which are related to an in-service injury while playing softball. Service connection is also established for migraines (headaches), low back disability, cervical spine disability, and paresthesia of the right upper extremity.

The Veteran's tinnitus and ischemic heart disease were not shown to be related to service, with the exception of a possible link between his hearing loss and tinnitus. The tuberculosis claim is pending as additional evidence is needed.,Service connection for tinnitus was denied due to lack of in-service onset or continuity of symptomatology. Service connection for ischemic heart disease was denied because there was no evidence linking it to service, including herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as his initial rating claims for lower back strain prior to June 4, 2014, lumbar radiculopathy in right lower extremity, and lumbar radiculopathy in left lower extremity. The appeal was based on the Veteran's service connection award but not on a direct service connection claim.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus meeting VA criteria, and there is no medical evidence establishing a nexus between his in-service noise exposure and his current disabilities. The preponderance of the evidence is against service connection for both conditions.