Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2014

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

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for tinnitus, otitis media, and right sterna-clavicular injury are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to assess current disability levels.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be etiologically related to service, thus granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease. The claim for a back disability was also denied as there is no credible evidence linking any current back condition to military service.

The Board has determined that there is CUE in the February 1996 rating decision denying service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus. As a result, the effective date of the grant of service connection for these conditions is being granted as early as March 3, 1995.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and a VA examination to assess his employability due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and providing a VA audiology examination to determine if current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service.

The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for a low back disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is granted as there is evidence that relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim (onset during service) and raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is also granted based on direct service connection. The claim for tinnitus is granted as the Veteran experienced symptoms since service, which he testified to in his April 2013 hearing.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to obtain additional medical records and an examination assessing the cumulative impact of his service-connected disabilities on employment. The case will be re-adjudicated after these actions.

The Board has remanded the appeal for additional development, including obtaining post-November 2011 treatment records from the Charleston VA Medical Center and providing a new VA examination for the TDIU claim. The issues on appeal include reopening of a hearing loss claim, service connection for various peripheral neuropathies, tinnitus, hyperkeratosis, wrist scar, foot scar, and TDIU.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a nexus to service.

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

The Veteran's tinnitus is at least as likely as not related to his active service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus did not have onset during active service, were not caused by active service, and do not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of separation from service. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

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

The Board found that the effective date for service connection of tinnitus should be November 16, 2007, based on the VA examination conducted on that date.

The Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches have been rated at 50 percent since August 17, 2011. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise with respect to whether the Veteran has experienced very frequent and prolonged migraine headaches that have been completely prostrating and likely productive of severe economic inadaptability throughout the entire appellate period.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone are not of such severity to preclude substantially gainful employment prior to August 6, 2010.

The Board has determined that the effective dates for service connection of tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss should not be earlier than November 30, 2011. The Veteran's claims were denied in December 1986 but reopened on November 30, 2011.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and otitis externa were denied as the evidence did not show that his conditions warranted a higher rating based on the applicable schedular criteria.