Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2015

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be causally related to noise exposure during active duty service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The hearing loss claim remains pending as an audiometry examination was not conducted.

The Board has determined that the August 1993 rating decision denying service connection for tinnitus was clearly and unmistakably erroneous, and therefore grants the Veteran's claim. The effective date of award is set to January 12, 1993, which is when the initial claim for service connection was received by the Board.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The VA physician has linked these conditions to his active service, raising a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea, a bilateral hand disability, and back disability. The Board found that while the Veteran had these conditions, there was no evidence to support their direct relationship with his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was granted, and he is now rated at 10 percent for his left knee disability. The appeal regarding the rating of the left knee has been resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted due to his service-connected disabilities, but the case is remanded for additional development including obtaining medical records and a vocational rehabilitation folder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and left ear hearing loss are service-connected, with no current disability for right ear hearing loss.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, specifically bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The claims were denied as there was no evidence of a current disability meeting VA compensation criteria.

The Veteran's seborrheic dermatitis, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were not service connected. The Board found that the evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, and thus service connection for tinnitus secondary to bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus, combine to render him unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment since April 6, 2015. His diabetes requires regulation of dietary activities but not restriction of physical activities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable from performing all forms of substantially gainful employment that are consistent with his education and occupational experience, effective from July 11, 2013.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus became manifest to a degree of at least 10 percent within one year from the date of his separation from service, and therefore grants service connection for tinnitus. The claim for Meniere's disease is remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete service department records. The Veteran is entitled to a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Travel Board hearing. The issues of service connection for lumbar spine degenerative joint disease, tinnitus, and whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen service connection for headaches are pending.

The Veteran's tinnitus had its onset and was shown in service, and there have been subsequent manifestations of the same chronic disease during the appeal period. The Board has therefore granted entitlement to service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's application to restore a 30 percent rating for his service-connected left knee chondromalacia and degenerative joint disease has been granted. The remaining issues of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen claims for right shoulder disorder, right foot gout, left foot gout, left shoulder disorder, right knee disorder, tinnitus, and gastritis are addressed in the remand portion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current respiratory disorder or right foot disorder, and therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied. The claims for dental trauma, lead paint poisoning, gout of bilateral legs, skin disorder due to Agent Orange exposure, and an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Board hearing. The issues of entitlement to increased ratings for lumbar degenerative disc disease and tinnitus are still pending.