Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has found that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his active duty service and granted service connection for this condition. The claim of a thyroid disorder was not addressed as it did not meet the criteria for reopening.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service, including exposure to significant acoustic trauma while serving as a tank driver. As such, both conditions have been granted service connection.

The Veteran's death was caused by CAD, which is presumed to be due to herbicide exposure in service. The Veteran did not have any of the claimed conditions at the time of his death and there is no evidence linking them to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a cold injury to the feet, eczema, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and flat feet were denied. The claim for an increased rating for athlete's foot was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and scheduling a social and industrial survey to determine if his service-connected disabilities preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to the lack of a statement of the case (SOC) addressing these issues. The Veteran must be provided with an SOC so that he can file a substantive appeal if he wishes to continue his appeal.

The Board found that the Veteran's eosinophilia, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess the functional impact of her service-connected disabilities on her employability.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his in-service noise exposure. Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The issues include service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, and an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's death, and no jurisdiction remains for the merits of the case.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities, combined for purposes of TDIU eligibility, preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied the claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran did not file a formal or informal claim prior to September 21, 2005. The appeal is dismissed.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The criteria for establishing service connection have been met, with both conditions found to be related to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by his service-connected disabilities, and therefore DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 are denied.

The Board finds that the service-connected residuals of a right lower leg shrapnel wound contributed to the Veteran's death due to a fall and traumatic brain injury, which was found as an underlying cause of death.

The Board finds that the law, as written by Congress and implemented by VA regulation, has been correctly applied in this case. The recoupment of the overpayment of VA compensation in the amount of severance pay received ($32,551.20) by withholding in monthly allotments payments of disability compensation benefits is required by law.

The Board has ordered additional development to determine if the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure. The case is being returned for further review.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are likely related to his noise exposure during service, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence did not support a link to active service.