Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2015

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have originated during his active service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition. The low back disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder, and hepatitis C claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including amputation of both lower extremities and other disabilities such as posttraumatic stress disorder, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, sarcoma of the nose, penile deformity with erectile dysfunction and voiding dysfunction, left upper extremity fragment wound with retained foreign body, buttock fragment wound with retained foreign body, left shoulder rotator cuff tear, diabetes mellitus, left wrist fragment wound, coronary artery disease, and tinnitus, have resulted in a need for higher level of care. The Veteran's condition necessitates the provision of daily personal health care services by a skilled provider without which he would require institutional care.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete or inaccurate factual bases of the September 2009 VA audiometric examination, and another audiological evaluation is necessary.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, as well as service connection for colon cancer due to Agent Orange exposure. The claim to reopen his claims for hypertension and COPD was also denied.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his active duty service, with the Board finding that there is at least equipoise evidence in favor of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of anthrax vaccine, finding that the Veteran's claim was not supported by sufficient evidence to reopen her previously denied claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including chronic rhinitis, generalized anxiety disorder, bilateral pes planus, tinnitus, sinusitis, esophageal hiatal hernia with gastroesophageal reflux disease, and bilateral hearing loss, meet the criteria for a TDIU and VA outpatient dental treatment.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to be related to noise exposure during service, and the Board granted service connection for this condition. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed due to withdrawal by the Veteran. Service connection for arthritis of the shoulders is denied as there is no current diagnosis or evidence of a disability at any point during the claims period.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection for his claimed conditions. The current 10 percent disability rating for asbestosis with shortness of breath is upheld, as it meets the criteria under Diagnostic Code 6833.

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

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development, including a medical addendum and consideration under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b) for extraschedular evaluation.

The Veteran's service connection claims for degenerative disc disease, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were denied as there is no evidence of a nexus to his military service.,Service connection was not granted because the Veteran did not have any diagnosed conditions related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran is unable to maintain substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities, and the Board grants TDIU based on this finding.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is service connected, but his tinnitus cannot be linked to active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU). The case was remanded multiple times, but ultimately the TDIU claim was denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss disability, as well as his earlier effective date claim for major right shoulder shell fragment wound residuals in Muscle Group IV, are all granted. The effective date for the latter is set at February 3, 1971.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, effective the date his claim was received. His bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus claims remain pending.

The Board denied service connection for left ear tinnitus due to a lack of credible evidence linking the condition to service, despite the appellant's assertions of an in-service grenade explosion. The VA examiner found no medical nexus between the claimed disability and service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is etiologically related to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and grants service connection for this condition on a secondary basis.