Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has determined that additional assistance is needed to locate relevant private treatment records and will remand the case for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his request for a videoconference hearing. The case will be returned to the Board after the hearing.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for reopening his service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no new and material evidence to support these claims.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a vocational rehabilitation specialist opinion regarding his ability to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are currently rated at 10 percent each, with no higher ratings warranted due to the application of the rating criteria. The Veteran does not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating or separate schedular ratings for each ear.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with noise exposure being the primary factor.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are granted. The claim for right ear hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bursitis of the left shoulder, cervical spine arthritis, tinnitus, post-traumatic stress disorder, and bilateral hearing loss, do not render him unemployable.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is not related to his active service and concluding that the preponderance of evidence is against this claim.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not support a nexus between these conditions and active military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is etiologically related to noise exposure during active duty service, and the Board finds that the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus was incurred in active service and granted service connection for this condition. The claims for sinus condition and nose disability are remanded due to incomplete records.

The Veteran's tinnitus is rated at the maximum allowable under VA regulations, and his neck disability has been assigned a noncompensable rating. His bilateral hearing loss claim was not addressed as it may be encompassed by other claims.

The Board found that the Veteran did not sustain a disease or injury of the bilateral ears in service, and symptoms of hearing loss were not chronic during active service. The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied as they do not meet the criteria.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to new and material evidence. However, these claims are being remanded for further development as the VA examination report is inadequate.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding it likely related to the Veteran's military service and specifically his exposure during the Gulf War. The effective date remains pending as further development is needed.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a new VA audiological examination and notification of the Veteran's right to a hearing on his claim for an acquired psychiatric disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor may sensorineural hearing loss be presumed to have been incurred in service.,Giving the benefit of the doubt to the Veteran, his tinnitus was incurred in active military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service and is not proximately due to or the result of any service-connected disability, including his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure, granting service connection for both conditions.