Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the current level of disability and any relationship between his tinnitus and hearing loss.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right ankle disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The claim for a right knee disorder was not addressed as it did not meet the criteria for reopening.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus were denied. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support these claims.

The Veteran's combined rating of 70 percent from multiple service-connected disabilities does not meet the criteria for a TDIU rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's failure to appear for VA examinations and other procedural issues.

The Board finds that the Veteran's tinnitus is reasonably shown to be related to the same etiological factors in service as his service-connected hearing loss and grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that there is not enough evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus. The Veteran's hearing was within normal limits during service, and he did not report any ear trouble at separation. There is no medical evidence linking his current hearing loss or tinnitus to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral tinnitus was incurred in service, resolving reasonable doubt in his favor.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is 60 percent, which does not meet the threshold requirements for a TDIU under VA regulations. The evidence does not support a finding that his service-connected disabilities alone are of sufficient severity to produce unemployability.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for further examination and development due to insufficient evidence of his employability.

The Board found that the effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus cannot be earlier than June 13, 2007 due to lack of evidence showing a claim was filed before this date.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the maximum schedular disability rating authorized under VA's rating schedule is already assigned.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a new examination to assess the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of service treatment records, requiring further development to determine if current diagnoses are related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and bilateral tinnitus based on in-service onset of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were denied. The Board found that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure in Vietnam, and thus the presumption does not apply to these conditions.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus on a secondary basis to the Veteran's service-connected left ear hearing loss. The claim for bladder cancer was not substantiated as there is no evidence of its presence during service or within one year post-service, and the Veteran did not provide sufficient evidence to establish exposure to ionizing radiation that could support a presumption under 38 C.F.R. § 3.311.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA and private medical records related to hearing loss and tinnitus. The appellant's service connection claims will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be causally related to his military service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition. The claim for a back disability secondary to service-connected bilateral knee disability will require further development as outlined in the remand instructions.