Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his service, including any in-service noise exposure. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which he claims are related to his military service. The VA has requested additional medical opinions and the opportunity for the Veteran to provide any relevant treatment records.

The Veteran's tinnitus was first noted during active duty service and has persisted since then. The Board finds that the evidence supports a grant of service connection for tinnitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized private medical expenses incurred at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital on April 20, 2009 due to lack of emergency treatment and because VA was not feasibly available.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in service, but his right hip disorder is related to his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there was no evidence of a nexus between his current conditions and his military service. The claims are therefore denied.

The Veteran is service-connected for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic otitis externa. The Board finds that his combined disability rating of 60% renders him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board found no evidence of a current hearing loss disability or tinnitus that is related to service, and thus denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disability rating is 90%, which satisfies the percentage requirements for TDIU. However, his service-connected disabilities alone do not preclude him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is denied as there is no current disability of hearing loss in either ear, and the evidence does not support a finding that his tinnitus was incurred during or aggravated by service.

The Board found that the appellant's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred during service, as there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The examiner concluded that the appellant's hearing loss was caused by his in-service noise exposure but denied service connection for tinnitus due to its onset occurring after service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for PTSD, tinnitus, and a right leg disorder to comply with the Court's November 2010 decision. The AOJ must issue an SOC regarding the PTSD claim and provide proper VCAA notice on all issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Board found no evidence of bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus in service, and the competent and credible evidence did not establish that these conditions were incurred during active service. The Veteran's statements regarding the onset and continuity of his claimed disorders are deemed insufficient to trigger VA's duty to provide an examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus did not begin during service and was not caused by military noise exposure, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD, anxiety and/or depression), and tinnitus. The Veteran's current conditions are found to be related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral knee disability were not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there was no evidence of such within one year after discharge from service. The claims for service connection are therefore denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by his military service.

The Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus are presumed to have been incurred in service due to exposure to Agent Orange. The Board found the evidence equally balanced as to whether the Veteran's PTSD is related to his fear of hostile military activity during service.