Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2012

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including low back strain and tinnitus, have prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for a new VA audiological examination, as well as obtaining any relevant treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was not aggravated during service and is not service-connected. The tinnitus, which is attributed to his pre-existing hearing loss, also does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and development of medical records.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of these claims at this time.

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

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus with vertigo were not shown to have originated during service or for many years thereafter, and are not related to any event that occurred during military service.,While the Veteran was given spectacles during service due to an apparent refractive error, neither chronic residuals of an eye injury nor an acquired chronic disability of the eyes are shown at any time.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are found to render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, with the benefit of doubt in his favor. His claim for TDIU is therefore granted.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary before the appeal can be decided, including obtaining a VA audiological examination to address whether the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is 80 percent, which meets the schedular requirements for consideration of a TDIU. The Board finds that his service-connected disabilities alone are sufficiently severe to produce unemployability.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss disability and tinnitus are not causally related to active service. The threshold shift in his hearing acuity during service is noted to have improved later, and the examiner opined against a finding of a causal relationship between his current hearing loss and service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (tinnitus, rheumatoid arthritis, and left ear hearing loss) do not render him incapable of obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing assistance or a special home adaptation grant due to lack of qualifying disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and provide the Veteran with a new VA examination for his hearing loss and tinnitus claims. The peripheral neuropathy claim will be addressed in a separate decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, concluding that his current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus due to conflicting medical evidence and a need for an adequate VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to the need for an audiologist's opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran withdrew his claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and dizziness prior to the Board's decision.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and multiple myeloma. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and multiple myeloma are being remanded.