Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the relationship between the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus and his military service, as well as to clarify the onset of tinnitus.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinion regarding his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board found no evidence of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as the Veteran did not have a current disability during or within one year after service. The earliest documented hearing impairment was in 2002, approximately five decades post-service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are causally connected to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for tinnitus, which he claims developed due to acoustic trauma during his active duty. The Board has decided that a VA examination should be conducted and the issue remanded for further development.

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

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus of the left ear and initial rating for bilateral hearing loss were denied. The Board found no evidence linking current left ear tinnitus to service, and there was no competent opinion supporting a nexus between current bilateral hearing loss and service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may they be presumed to have been incurred therein. Therefore, service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not render him unemployable, as he is capable of performing the physical and mental acts required by employment.

The Veteran's increased disability rating claim for left tibia and fibula fracture residuals was denied. His TDIU claims based on schedular and extra-schedular grounds were not addressed in this decision.

The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's claim that his current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, including exposure to acoustic trauma. The VA medical examiner concluded that the Veteran's hearing loss is not caused by or a result of his active service.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, but his skin cancer is not. The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the skin cancer and service.

The Board found no evidence of a hearing loss or tinnitus disability during service and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, hearing loss, and tinnitus were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service, including due to noise exposure during military service. The most probative evidence indicated these conditions are unrelated to his military service.

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

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining service records and a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for stomach, hypertension, heart, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus disabilities were denied as there is no competent medical evidence of current disabilities or a nexus to service.

The Board has ordered additional development to obtain service personnel records, treatment records from the USS Valley Forge, and any relevant post-service medical records. The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus will be reconsidered based on this new evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including renal insufficiency with hypertension, cataracts, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, type II, hearing loss, and tinnitus render the Veteran unemployable. Therefore, the Board finds that entitlement to individual unemployability is warranted.