Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure or his pre-existing bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have first manifested during service and has persisted since then, warranting service connection. The right ear hearing loss disability by regulation is not shown at any time during the appeal period, thus preventing service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities were not incurred in or related to his military service, including due to noise exposure. The VA examiner concluded it was less likely than not that these conditions are linked to his service.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the need for further development of evidence regarding his specific learning disability and its impact on employment, as well as an assessment of the combined effect of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Board has determined that service connection is not warranted for tinnitus and the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability, as there is no current evidence of a hearing loss disability under VA regulations.

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

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to in-service acoustic trauma, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service due to exposure to loud noises. The decision is based on presumptive service connection.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for higher initial disability ratings and service connection for various conditions, including tinnitus, hearing loss, rotator cuff disability of the right shoulder with bone spur, post-operative cervical strain with spinal stenosis, allergic rhinitis, skin disability manifested by urticarial wheals, and loss of tooth No. 19.

The Board found that there is no legal basis for the assignment of an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus, as only a single 10 percent evaluation is authorized under DC 6260. The issue of TDIU has been raised but not yet addressed by the RO.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran did not incur these conditions in or aggravated by active service.

The Board found that the Veteran's pre-existing bilateral hearing loss was aggravated by his military service, and granted service connection for this condition. The tinnitus claim is also granted as it is related to noise exposure during service.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to lack of evidence showing a service-connected disability caused or contributed substantially to his death.,The appellant's claim for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) under Title 38, Chapter 35 was also denied as she did not meet the eligibility requirements.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining National Guard service records and verifying periods of active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty for training. The Veteran's claims for service connection are pending.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus in his right ear and granted a 20 percent rating for degenerative facet joint L5-S1 with bulge, lordosis, and spondylosis (back condition). The other issues were not addressed as the appeal was not about service connection at all.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are as likely as not attributable to his active service, including exposure to acoustic trauma during his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there was no evidence of a nexus between in-service noise exposure and these conditions.

The Board has determined that the effective dates for the grant of service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus should be December 5, 2008 as this is the date the Veteran's claims were received by VA.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are due to in-service acoustic trauma and aggravation of a pre-existing condition.