Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2015

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to his failure to report for VA audiological examinations and because a copy of the April 2013 supplemental statement of the case was returned as undeliverable. The Veteran will be scheduled for another VA examination, and he will be notified at his current address.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from participating in any substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for residuals of an eye injury. The Veteran's right upper and lower extremity neuropathy was rated at 10 percent each.,The rating reduction for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma from 100 percent to non-compensable effective October 1, 2009 was found proper.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and bilateral tinnitus are both granted. The Board finds that the Veteran has credible reports of ringing in his ears since service, establishing chronicity of the disorder which was later diagnosed as tinnitus. Service connection is also granted for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not currently suffer from bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus for VA rating purposes, and thus service connection is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to noise exposure during active duty.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The appeal for tinnitus was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal during a July 2015 travel Board hearing.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for any of the conditions listed in his claims, and therefore denied all of them.

The Veteran is entitled to a TDIU prior to March 12, 2015, due to his service-connected PTSD and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and back disability are not related to his military service. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service injury or disease, and there is no competent medical opinion linking these conditions to service.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have bilateral hearing loss as a result of any incident during his active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination and a need for an addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his active duty service, including the tympanic membrane scarring noted on the June 1988 separation examination.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but is remanding to adjudicate a claim of CUE in an August 1968 rating decision denying these conditions. The Veteran will be provided with notice of any determination and given an opportunity to respond.

The Veteran's tinnitus claim is granted, but his prostate cancer rating remains at 20 percent.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's headaches, specifically whether they are aggravated by service-connected tinnitus.

The Board has reinstated the appellant's VA benefits, effective April 1, 2012. The character of his discharge is not a bar to receiving VA benefits and the severance of service connection for the listed conditions was not proper.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The remaining issues of entitlement to initial compensable ratings for various disabilities and service connection for other conditions remain on appeal.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a major depressive disorder and PTSD was reopened, but the claims for hypertension, CAD, left ventricular dysfunction/congestive heart failure, ulcers, COPD, erectile dysfunction, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hemorrhoids, right foot calluses and corns, and left foot calluses and corns were all denied. The Veteran's claim for a temporary total rating based on the need for convalescence following May 2012 right foot surgery was also denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran's tinnitus began during service and has continued since, meeting the criteria for service connection. The Veteran also meets the criteria for a 10% disability rating for his bilateral otitis externa.

The Board has granted service connection for left hip degenerative joint disease, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are more likely than not related to his in-service injury. The remaining issues of service connection have been remanded.