Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2015

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's credible and competent report of ringing in his ears since service is sufficient to establish a continuity of symptomatology.

The Veteran's tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to have been incurred therein.

The Veteran's tinnitus is rated at the maximum schedular rating, and his bilateral hearing loss disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation. The acquired psychiatric disorder has been found to warrant a 30 percent rating, but no higher. The claim for TDIU is granted.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is 70 percent, meeting the percentage requirements for a TDIU. However, his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted, with some conditions receiving a presumption of herbicide exposure and others being granted based on the evidence presented.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are attributable to service, with no presumption or other special consideration applied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current tinnitus began in and has continued since service, and therefore grants service connection for tinnitus. The issue of service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, and the Veteran's claims for hearing loss and right shoulder disabilities are remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, but he does not have a current diagnosis of otitis media.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for nonservice-connected pension benefits is denied as there was no prior pending claim or informal request for such benefits.

The Veteran has bilateral hearing loss that is the result of disease or injury incurred during active military service, and his tinnitus may be related to noise exposure in service. The Board finds it as likely as not that both conditions are attributable to service.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which have rendered him unemployable.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are causally related to his history of in-service noise exposure, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Travel Board hearing at the Winston-Salem RO due to his relocation and previous hearing request.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no legal basis for a higher schedular rating, given the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent has been in place. The case is remanded to obtain SSA records, provide a VA audiological examination, and consider whether an extraschedular rating is warranted.

The Veteran's lung disability claim is denied, but his claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for tinnitus and granted it, finding that new evidence raised a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim. The Veteran's reported exposure to acoustic trauma during service is considered credible.

The Veteran's tinnitus is presumed to have been incurred during service due to noise exposure. The issues of left and right ear hearing loss are pending as the VA examination did not provide a clear opinion on their etiology.

The Veteran's death was not caused by any of his service-connected conditions, and the Board finds that the appellant does not have competent medical evidence to support her claim. As a result, she is not entitled to burial benefits based on the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to the need to obtain Social Security Administration (SSA) records and other relevant medical records.