Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2014

The Board has remanded the case to the AOJ for referral to the Director of Compensation and Pension Service for extra-schedular consideration on the issue of entitlement to a TDIU. The Veteran's claim will be re-adjudicated considering this determination.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a VA examination and a memorandum from a vocational rehabilitation specialist to determine if he is unemployable due to service-connected disabilities. The claim will be referred to the Director of Compensation and Pension Service for consideration of whether TDIU is warranted.

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

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to deficiencies in previous VA opinions regarding the onset of hearing loss, tinnitus, and carpal tunnel syndrome during periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) or inactive duty training (INACDUTRA).

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to verify the Veteran's service dates and obtain relevant TRICARE treatment records. The case will be remanded for these actions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active military service, granting the claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the effective dates for service connection of tinnitus and sleep apnea cannot be earlier than May 11, 2010, as there was no prior claim within one year after separation from service. The appellant's claims were received on May 11, 2010.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence is in relative equipoise and granting the benefit of the doubt to the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus did not begin during service and is not related to any in-service noise exposure, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and sleep apnea, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability related to military service.

The Veteran is granted an effective date of April 28, 2011 for the grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran is service connected for several disabilities, including PTSD and diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction. The Board finds it at least as likely as not that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment.

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 combat. The claims for these conditions have been granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him incapable of obtaining or maintaining employment that could be considered substantially gainful from February 26, 2008 to April 27, 2010.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran. Therefore, service connection for both conditions is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional development of his VA treatment records from the Martinez VAMC.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD rendered him unemployable from November 7, 1996 to October 6, 2002.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are as likely as not associated with his time in the military due to noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and PTSD due to the Veteran's request for additional records from the Rockford Vet Center Outstation.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus and right and left knee patellofemoral syndrome, finding that the Veteran's claims are supported by competent lay evidence of in-service noise exposure and symptom onset. The Board also found that there is no clear and convincing evidence to rebut the presumption of service connection for combat veterans.