Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of updated VA treatment records, particularly from December 2017.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus should be remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between his current conditions and military service.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression). The appeal for tinnitus was granted, with a disability rating of 30 percent. Service connection for persistent insomnia is also granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or in-service incurrence.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, remanded the claims for back disability and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as there was no evidence of chronic conditions during or within a presumptive period after service, and the Veteran's reports about the onset dates were not credible. The medical evidence did not support a nexus between the current disabilities and in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's service connection claim for tinnitus is granted, and his initial compensable rating for hearing loss is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are causally related to his active duty service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis is related to his in-service exposure to noise during basic training.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection, while his prostate cancer and other conditions are denied. The Veteran also receives a 30 percent rating for pneumonia.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.,Service connection is not granted for a bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, right shoulder disorder, right elbow disorder, lumbar spine disorder, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disorder has been reopened. The Board found that the evidence received since the last final denial is sufficient to reopen the claim, but did not reach a decision on whether service connection should be granted due to the remanded nature of the case.

The Veteran's depression is granted as secondary to her service-connected obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus and an initial disability rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD has been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's tinnitus began during service or was related to her in-service noise exposure, and concluded that her PTSD symptoms more closely approximated those associated with a 50 percent rating.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected tinnitus is denied.,For the period on appeal prior to March 9, 2012, the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for a service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder are not met. From March 9, 2012, but not earlier, the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as the evidence did not establish a nexus to service.

The Veteran's transport to a VA hospital by ambulance on January 4, 2015 was not medically required and therefore payment or reimbursement for the ambulance fees is denied.

The Veteran's death was caused by a motor vehicle accident, and the appellant contends that his service-connected seizure disorder contributed to the accident. The Board has remanded for an addendum opinion from a VA physician regarding the etiology of the Veteran’s cause of death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation, and the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service treatment records are incomplete and must be obtained. The VA audiology examiner concluded that an opinion could not be provided without resorting to speculation due to the absence of in-service audiometric test results. The issue of bilateral hearing loss is remanded for further development, including obtaining the Veteran’s complete service treatment records and providing a new addendum opinion. For tinnitus, the VA audiological examination did not include an adequate opinion as to its likely etiology, so it must also be remanded.