Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active service, but finds in favor of granting service connection for tinnitus due to the preponderance of evidence being at least in equipoise.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and TDIU, with effective dates of March 29, 2010 and January 6, 2010 respectively. The Veteran's claims were not earlier than these dates due to the lack of formal or informal claims prior to those dates.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing an opinion from a VA examiner regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The claim will be reconsidered based on all evidence.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since October 4, 2016. The VA found that the Veteran's symptoms have resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.,Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred during active service and are not etiologically related to an in-service injury or event.

The Board found that the Veteran's PTSD symptoms warranted a 70 percent disability rating, and also determined he was unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

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

The Board has remanded the claims of hearing loss, tinnitus, Meniere's disease, and back disability for additional development. The Veteran is to be provided with an opportunity to identify any relevant medical records and a VA examination will be scheduled if necessary.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including gastroparesis, PTSD, diabetes mellitus type II with tinea pedis, hypertension, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy, rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board granted TDIU based on the combined effects of his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing a VA examination. The Veteran's representative was given an opportunity to submit studies related to delayed onset hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and awarded a 10 percent rating for the Veteran's right shin scar, finding that it is painful.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are the result of acoustic trauma during his active duty service, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

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

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are attributable to his noise exposure during active duty in Vietnam.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for tinnitus, but the hearing loss claim remains pending.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to be related to her military service and granted service connection.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is not warranted as there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Board finds that the Veteran's right and left ear hearing losses are service-connected, as they were present at the time of enlistment and aggravated during service. The tinnitus is also service-connected as it is a symptom of his hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, as there is no evidence of a nexus between his current conditions and his military service.

The appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant's authorized representative before a decision could be made.