Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2015

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete records from his previous and current employers. The Veteran is asked to provide information about any private or VA treatment providers who have treated him since March 2015.

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

The Board has determined that service connection is warranted for tinnitus, finding it at least as likely as not that the Veteran's tinnitus originated during his active duty.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for a total rating based on unemployability due to service-connected disability, as his combined disability evaluation is at least 60 percent. The Board finds that he is precluded from employment in a field for which his education and prior work experience would qualify him, and that he is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as a result of the limitations imposed by his service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and assigned a 10% disability rating effective from the date of claim. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not considered to be related to active service.,For the period prior to November 15, 2013, the Veteran was awarded an initial 20% disability rating for his lumbar spine disability and a 20% disability rating for associated right lower extremity radiculopathy. Effective from November 15, 2013, the Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40%. The Board also granted a maximum 40% disability rating for the Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to his military service. The claims for left knee chondromalacia with arthritis, right knee chondromalacia with arthritis, and right shoulder arthritis are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his request for a videoconference hearing. The Board will schedule the Veteran for such a hearing.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is found to be caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities, including his foot and ankle conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including new VA examinations and medical opinions regarding his claims of tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as major depressive disorder), and eczema of the feet.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional actions, including scheduling a hearing and obtaining an examination to assess the etiology of his squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for secondary service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is causally related to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The issue of a rating in excess of 20 percent for left knee disability remains pending.

The Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during active military service and is granted service connection. The claims for hearing loss, left eye disability, and tuberculosis are remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's tinnitus was diagnosed both in service and after service, allowing for presumptive service connection. The January 2005 rating decision is found to have overlooked a critical piece of evidence (a diagnosis of tinnitus in service), which would have led to different outcome.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current tinnitus is related to active military service and granted service connection for this condition. The hearing loss claim remains pending as it involves issues not directly about service connection, such as continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus began during service and is related to in-service noise exposure, granting service connection for this condition.

The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to new evidence submitted since the last final denial. Bilateral hearing loss is found to be aggravated by service, while tinnitus is attributable to service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and left ear hearing loss disability, but denied service connection for right ear hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to service, and he is granted service connection for these conditions. His claim for special monthly pension based on the need for aid and attendance is dismissed as his benefit is already in effect.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus began during his military service and continues to persist, thus granting service connection for tinnitus.