Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, tingling of the legs, and tinnitus. The new evidence received since the last denial is sufficient to reopen these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are causally related to active service. Service connection was denied for a respiratory disorder due to asbestos exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and a pulmonary disorder presumed to be caused by Agent Orange exposure. Service connection was denied for the remaining conditions, including hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have been shown to prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, warranting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus as there is no current disability, and the evidence does not support a finding of in-service incurrence or continuity of symptomatology.

The Board finds that the Veteran has current diagnoses of hearing loss and tinnitus, which are likely related to his in-service noise exposure. Therefore, service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, with the latter being secondary to his hearing loss. Service connection is granted for both conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a personal hearing before a Veterans Law Judge (VLJ) at his local RO. The claims will be reviewed after the hearing.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as readjudication based on the results.

The Board has granted service connection for myasthenia gravis and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's symptoms began during his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus and his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete information in the medical records, including a lack of review of the service separation examination report. A new VA audiological examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and an increased rating for his left shoulder disability with scar, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between current symptoms and service. The Veteran's hearing loss was normal at separation from service, and he did not report any ear problems until decades after discharge.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions were not caused by or related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims due to deficiencies in the February 2011 VA compensation examiner's opinion, and further development is needed.

The Board found no evidence of a current right ear hearing loss disability under VA standards and denied service connection for right ear hearing loss. For left ear hearing loss, the Board noted that while there was an audiogram showing hearing loss within one year after separation from service, it did not meet the criteria for a hearing loss disability as defined by VA regulations. The Board also found no evidence of a current tinnitus disability.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his service-connected hearing loss and whether it is secondary to noise exposure. The claim will be reconsidered based on this new evidence.

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

The Board has expanded the issue on appeal to include service connection for tinnitus as due to exposure to herbicides and as secondary to service-connected PTSD. The Veteran's claim is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination.