Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acoustic neuroma, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are being remanded due to inadequacies in the previous VA examination. The case will be returned to the Board after further development.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied the remaining issues on appeal. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the etiology of his left ear hearing loss and tinnitus. Additionally, a VA examination will be scheduled to assess how the Veteran's service-connected disabilities collectively affect his employability.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, nor may they be presumed to have been so incurred or aggravated. The VA examiner concluded that it was less likely than not that current hearing loss and tinnitus were related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability in either ear, and therefore cannot establish service connection for bilateral hearing loss. Service connection is also denied for tinnitus as there is no evidence of its occurrence during service or within one year post-service. The remaining issues are not addressed due to lack of claim.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an updated medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as review the claims file for compliance with the remand directives.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted his claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal for a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is dismissed because he is already eligible for special monthly compensation.

The Veteran's service-connected COPD, defective hearing, tinnitus, neurodermatitis, and hemorrhoids combine to a 90 percent rating. The weight of the competent and probative evidence indicates that these conditions preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine disorders, as well as his tinnitus, are at least as likely as not related to his active service. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding new and material evidence. The claims are now pending on their merits.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death due to metastatic pancreatic cancer, finding that it was not incurred or aggravated by service and did not result from a service-connected condition.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's previously denied claim for service connection for tinnitus, resulting in a denial of this request.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's recurrent tinnitus is a direct result of his active duty service in Afghanistan, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing the Veteran with a new examination to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities. The claim will also be referred to the Director of Compensation and Pension Services for consideration of an extraschedular TDIU rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus did not have onset during active service, were not caused by an event, disease, or injury during active service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected as they were caused by noise exposure during his military service.

The Board found no evidence of a current hearing loss disability or tinnitus, and the VA examiner concluded that any current tinnitus is not related to service. The Veteran's claims for service connection were therefore denied.