Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2014

The Veteran's tinnitus has been granted service connection and rated at 10 percent.,Since February 15, 2012, the Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be etiologically related to his period of active service.,Service connection for mild degenerative joint disease of both hips, secondary to the service-connected residuals of a fracture to the right tibia, fibula, and ankle, is granted. The claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease of both hands was previously denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence received since the February 2012 supplemental statement of the case. The issues on appeal are service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability has been withdrawn. The Board also dismissed the claim for tinnitus as there is no evidence to support its occurrence during service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but denied service connection for left ear hearing loss and right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including herniated disc of the lumbar spine and arthritis affecting multiple joints, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted entitlement to TDIU based on these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is due to noise exposure during service and grants service connection for this condition. The right ear hearing loss claim remains pending as it does not involve a direct service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus, render him unable to follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board finds that the criteria for TDIU have been met.

The Veteran is unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment due to his musculoskeletal disabilities and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with panic disorder, agoraphobia, and dysthymia.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to report for a scheduled Travel Board hearing. The case will be returned to the Board after proper notice and scheduling of another hearing.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not meet the criteria for service connection as there was no evidence of an increase in severity during service, and the preexisting conditions were not aggravated by military service. The Veteran's statements regarding the onset of his disabilities were deemed less credible.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of records.

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

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such severity as to effectively preclude all forms of substantially gainful employment for which the Veteran's education and occupational experience would otherwise qualify him, thus granting TDIU.

The Veteran seeks service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a right leg disability, Crohn's disease, and a left leg disability. The Board finds that additional development is necessary as the VA examination opinions are inadequate.,The Veteran asserts that he has bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to in-service noise exposure. However, the VA examiner did not consider his lay assertions of in-service acoustic trauma and ensuing hearing problems and tinnitus, which reportedly have persisted on a continuous basis since service.,The Veteran seeks service connection for a right leg disability, including torn cartilage and ligament, as well as Crohn's disease. The Board finds that additional development is necessary as the VA examiner did not consider his lay assertions of in-service symptoms and ongoing treatment post-separation from service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current tinnitus is not related to his service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for hearing loss and granted service connection for both hearing loss and tinnitus. The Veteran's lay observations, combined with his in-service noise exposure, are considered in favor of a relationship to service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which preexisted his period of active service, were permanently aggravated during service. As a result, the Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to service, and therefore grants the claim for service connection.