Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2013

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and the Board found that new and material evidence had been received to reopen several of his claims. The effective date for PTSD was not established due to a finding of no CUE.

The Board has withdrawn the Veteran's appeal for increased rating for bilateral hearing loss. The effective date of service connection and a 10% disability rating for tinnitus was changed from February 26, 1999 to February 26, 1998.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of service separation, and there is no evidence of continuity of symptoms since service. The Veteran's contentions regarding continuous symptomatology are outweighed by other evidence of record, including lack of in-service complaints or treatment for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was denied as there is no competent, credible evidence suggesting a nexus between any current tinnitus and his period of active military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to his inability to use braces, crutches, canes, or a wheelchair as a normal mode of locomotion.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus, do not render him unemployable due to their severity alone. The combined disability rating is sufficient to support a finding of TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are related to his active service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his lumbar degenerative disc disease was granted, with a 10 percent evaluation. His claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are pending.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to service, but his right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss are not found to be related to service.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded for further examination to determine if they are related to service exposure.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active service, as evidenced by a lack of in-service complaints or findings of hearing loss or tinnitus. The VA examiner opined that it was less likely than not that the Veteran's hearing loss or tinnitus were related to military noise exposure.

The appellant's combined disability rating is 60 percent, which does not meet the threshold for schedular consideration of a TDIU. The VA examiners concluded that he could engage in fully gainful employment despite his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability (strain) and left ankle disability are not service-connected as there is no current evidence of these conditions during the appeals period.,Bilateral pes planus was pre-existing but did not worsen due to military service. The Veteran has been granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus to the RO via the AMC due to failure to report for scheduled VA audiological examinations. The Veteran is advised that failure to report may have detrimental consequences on this pending claim.

The Board has determined that a VA examination and medical opinion are needed to determine the likely etiology of the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which may be related to in-service noise exposure. The case is therefore being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development of his claims, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology and severity of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus rendered him unemployable for the period from December 9, 2009 to June 2, 2011.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and cirrhosis of the liver could not be presumed to have been incurred in service.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal regarding the claims of service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus. As a result, these claims are dismissed.