Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board denied claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as right ankle and right knee disorders. The Veteran's applications to reopen these claims were not successful.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA opinion regarding the medical likelihood that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are related to military service. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions.

The Board has found no evidence of a service-connected disability for any of the conditions listed, including those related to mercury exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA examinations and opinions regarding his hearing loss, tinnitus, cardiac arrhythmia, hypertension, and coronary artery disease.

The Veteran does not have arthritis that is attributable to military service.

The Board found that there is no competent evidence linking headaches to service or tinnitus, and denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches as secondary to tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to effective dates prior to November 17, 2004 for service connection were denied as the records submitted by him in conjunction with his current claim did not support earlier effective dates.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. No service connection decisions were made.

The appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant through his authorized representative before a decision was made.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral tinnitus have been withdrawn. The remaining claims of service connection for disorders of the lumbar spine, knees, feet (claimed as joint pain), and chronic fatigue syndrome are dismissed due to lack of jurisdiction.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's residuals of a left ring finger injury, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are all service-connected. The Veteran's current conditions were incurred in or aggravated by his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his active service and has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is due to service-related noise exposure during his active duty in 2003, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for additional development due to inadequate examination and incomplete evidence. The Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are being reviewed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's vocational rehabilitation training at INSEAD in France was unique and not available in the United States, preventing him from attending due to personal hardship. The criteria for vocational rehabilitation training outside the United States have been met.

The Veteran's current tinnitus is related to his military service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete information and need for further examination regarding the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus claims.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for a right tympanic membrane perforation during the February 2011 hearing. The issues of entitlement to service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus are addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current tinnitus is related to his in-service noise exposure, and thus grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, low back disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), and bilateral hearing loss were denied. The claim for compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for a left patellar tendon rupture was not addressed in this decision.