Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2014

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

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to missing records and additional examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to inadequate examination and clarification of opinions regarding the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for tinnitus has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions began during active service or are related to an incident of service.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to be incurred in service, and his claim of low back disorder has been reopened. Service connection for both conditions is granted.

The Veteran seeks service connection for tinnitus and an increased rating for coronary artery disease. The Board finds that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, with the evidence being at least in equipoise regarding their onset during service.

The Board has granted service connection for GERD and awarded a 30 percent disability rating. The Veteran's tinnitus was found to be related to in-service noise exposure, warranting secondary service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral tinnitus is assigned the maximum rating authorized under Diagnostic Code 6260, which is a 10% rating. The Board finds no basis for an increased rating.

The Board has granted the Veteran's applications to reopen his claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new and material evidence has been submitted. The claim for service connection is now pending.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining verification of the Veteran's dates of active duty and reserve service, providing an examination for his skin disability, and determining whether his hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board found no evidence of a hearing loss disability in service or within one year post-service, and the VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military noise exposure. The same conclusion was reached for tinnitus.

The Veteran is found to be unemployable due to service-connected disabilities from November 22, 2010 to June 24, 2011.

The Veteran was granted a 10% disability rating for tinnitus effective November 27, 2006. The Board found that the earlier effective date of March 10, 1976 should have been assigned due to CUE in the September 1968 rating decision.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal of the claim for service connection for tinnitus.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss did not manifest during or within one year after service and was more likely caused by civilian noise exposure. The TDIU claim is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding employment status.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeal for higher initial ratings for tinnitus, diabetes mellitus, diabetic neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, erectile dysfunction, and bladder disability is denied. The current evaluations assigned are deemed appropriate.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and alcohol abuse, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU.