Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2013

The Veteran does not have current tinnitus that is related to service, and the Board finds no basis for granting service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining SSA records and VA/medical records. A VA examination will be scheduled to evaluate the status of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further proceedings due to the need for an updated VA examination and consideration of his service-connected disabilities in determining his employability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus. The issue of entitlement to a temporary total disability rating due to convalescence is pending as there was a notice of disagreement, but no statement of the case has been issued yet. The right shoulder disability claim remains under review.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, including exposure to acoustic trauma during his periods of active duty.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have hearing loss or tinnitus during service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss but granted service connection for tinnitus. The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is considered to be a direct result of active service, not due to any other condition or exposure.

The Veteran's service connection for tinnitus is established, and the Board finds that it is at least as likely as not related to his military service. The Board also grants service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding a continuity of symptoms since service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus do not render him unemployable prior to January 6, 2011.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Travel Board hearing. Service connection will be decided based on the merits of his claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed conditions, including headaches, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus, were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The claims for these disabilities are denied.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include a depressive disorder. The evidence now shows that he has a current psychiatric condition related to his active service. Service connection is granted for this condition. The Veteran also has hypertension and other conditions which are being remanded for further review.

The Board found that the Veteran's stated vocational goal of concrete sales was not reasonably feasible due to his service-connected and nonservice-connected disabilities, including a severe brain injury from a motor vehicle accident. The VRC concluded that achieving this goal would be unreasonable given his current medical condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to include obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for examinations to determine if his current disabilities are related to service.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, tinnitus, a scalp laceration scar, and PTSD. The issues include secondary service connection for hypertension, rating adjustments for PTSD, and an earlier effective date for PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including panic disorder, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of July 21, 2008.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is now at 70%, meeting the minimum schedular requirements for a TDIU. However, he was unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities from October 25, 2004 until April 24, 2005.

The Board has determined that an effective date prior to February 28, 2007 for the awards of service connection for right (major) shoulder strain, left hip strain, lumbar strain, bilateral tinnitus, pes planus, left lateral leg scar residuals, post-operative pilonidal cyst removal scar residuals, and psoriasis is not warranted.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are related to exposure to loud noise during service. The Veteran's claims for a psychiatric disorder have been recharacterized as encompassing PTSD, dysthymic disorder, and adjustment disorder.

The Veteran withdrew his claims for a disability rating in excess of 40 percent for prostate cancer, compensable ratings for bilateral hearing loss and erectile dysfunction, and service connection for a low back disorder prior to the Board's decision.