Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate consideration of evidence and potential relevance to the claims.

The Veteran's thoracolumbar spinal disability is rated at 40 percent since April 2, 2008. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including an examination by a VA ENT physician to determine if tinnitus is related to service or any service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to additional development being required, including obtaining VA examinations and opinions regarding his left shoulder injury, bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and residuals of an injury to the right ear drum.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such severity so as to preclude substantially gainful employment, and he is therefore entitled to a TDIU rating.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new and material evidence has been presented. The Board then determined that both conditions are related to in-service noise exposure and granted service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection is not clear and convincing evidence, as required by the new PTSD regulations. The case is therefore REMANDED to obtain updated VA treatment records, conduct a psychiatric examination, and provide an opinion on the etiology of any diagnosed psychiatric disorder(s).

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims due to incomplete service records and need for further development, including verification of dates of active duty and National Guard service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current tinnitus disability is related to his active service, and therefore service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and Social Security Administration (SSA) records. A VA audiology examination will be scheduled to determine if the current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service.

The Veteran's current bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is related to active duty service and the claim for this condition is granted. The Board finds that a grant of service connection for tinnitus, cervical spine disorder (DDD of the cervical spine), and left knee disorder (claimed as left knee patellar tendonitis and Osgood-Schlatter's disease) is warranted based on service incurrence.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus, which are service-connected disabilities, prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation. The case is being remanded to the Director of Compensation and Pension Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, including obtaining relevant service treatment records and VA medical records. The Veteran will be scheduled for a VA audiometric examination to address these issues.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for further development, including a VA examination.

The Veteran's tinnitus is rated as 10 percent rating disabling, the maximum rating authorized under Diagnostic Code (DC) 6260. There is no schedular basis for the assignment of an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for bilateral tinnitus.

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

The Veteran is seeking TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities. The Board has determined that an updated VA examination and records are needed to fully evaluate the claim.

The Board found no competent or credible evidence linking the Veteran's current tinnitus to his in-service exposure to loud noises due to artillery fire, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, nor can they be presumed to be related to active duty service. The evidence did not establish a medical nexus between the Veteran's current complaints of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus and his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection and initial compensable ratings for allergic rhinitis, deviated septum, and scarring of the right tympanic membrane are not supported by the evidence of record. The Veteran's conditions have been diagnosed but do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under applicable VA regulations.