Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2015

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical services provided at Ohio State University Medical Center (OSUMC) on July 18-19, 2012 was denied because he had coverage under a health-plan contract (Medicare), which precluded VA from providing the reimbursement.

The Board finds that the Veteran is not unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities and therefore, does not meet the criteria for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has remanded the claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus for additional development, including an interpretation of a pre-induction audiogram. The case will be returned to the Board after further adjudication.

The Veteran's appeal for right knee disability was withdrawn. The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is related to his in-service exposure to Agent Orange and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been granted.,Service connection is also granted for chipped teeth resulting from a traumatic incident in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran currently has bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which are related to his service. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for new examinations and additional records. The issues of entitlement to a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and entitlement to service connection for tinnitus are on appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the nature and etiology of his tinnitus, PTSD with MDD, and hypertension.

The Veteran's multiple service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, gastroparesis, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and peripheral neuropathy in both legs and arms, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board finds that TDIU is warranted.

The Veteran has tinnitus that is reasonably shown to have had its inception in service and persisted since. The Board grants the claim for service connection for tinnitus.

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

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to insufficient examination reports and incomplete medical history review.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, while his knee, hip, low back, and cervical spine disorders are related to service. The Veteran's claims for these conditions were denied.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board finds that additional evidentiary development is necessary before the Board can adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The case is REMANDED to obtain an addendum VA medical opinion from a qualified examiner to determine if the Veteran's in-service incidents of multiple close proximity explosions and constant (daily) exposure to loud noise from heavy generators could result in or aggravate his current hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was granted effective July 13, 2010. The Board finds that the Veteran is entitled to an earlier effective date of July 13, 2010.

The Veteran's service connection claims for sleep apnea, hypertension, BPH, symptomatic bradycardia with pacemaker, asthma, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been granted.,Service connection is established for bilateral hearing loss due to acoustic trauma during service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for PTSD and tinnitus are granted. The Board finds that the evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran's conditions arose during active service, including from combat experiences and exposure to loud noises.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and Type II Diabetes Mellitus due to additional development being necessary.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records and possibly a new examination.