Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2013

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown to have developed during service or as a result of service, thus the claims for these conditions are denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of tinnitus and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied. For hearing loss, the claim will be remanded to obtain additional medical evidence and to schedule an examination. The skin cancer claim will also be remanded as it involves a determination regarding whether the condition was incurred in or aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus claim is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a VA audiological examination and any relevant treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, with noise exposure during active duty in Vietnam. The claims for service connection are granted.

The Veteran's service-connected tinnitus is currently rated at a maximum of 10 percent, which is the highest schedular rating available. The Board finds that an increased evaluation for tinnitus is not warranted as there are no provisions in the applicable rating criteria to assign a higher evaluation.

The Board has determined that additional examination and opinions are needed to resolve the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete medical records and lack of clear opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board found no current hearing loss disability under 38 C.F.R. § 3.385, thus denying service connection for bilateral hearing loss. For tinnitus, the Veteran's lay statements were sufficient to establish a current disability and his in-service noise exposure was considered, leading to a finding of service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU either on a schedular or an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation during the appellate period from May 30, 2008 to June 22, 2009.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, and thus his claim for TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's combined rating of 70 percent due to service-connected disabilities does not meet the criteria for a TDIU as his disorders do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral heel spurs, tinnitus, and right foot disability. The decision also found that there was no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for bilateral heel spurs.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is also denied as the current schedular evaluation is adequate.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development due to missing service records and unavailability of private treatment records. The case will be reviewed after the necessary steps are taken.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing, special home adaptation assistance, or financial assistance in purchasing an automobile and adaptive equipment.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and determined that new evidence supports this reopening. The Veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions, including back, knee, foot, elbow, hearing loss, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus type 2, heart disease, or psychiatric disorders, that were incurred in or aggravated by his service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been granted. The Board found that the evidence was in equipoise, and therefore determined that it is as likely as not that the Veteran's current tinnitus disability is related to his military service.