Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2015

The Veteran is entitled to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as of September 25, 2008 due to his service-connected disabilities. He was also granted special monthly compensation at the housebound rate.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss and tinnitus were caused by noise exposure during active service, and the Board has established service connection for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining relevant medical records and providing an addendum opinion from a VA clinician regarding the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral tinnitus is assigned a 10 percent rating, the maximum allowed under Diagnostic Code 6260. The symptoms of his tinnitus are not unique or unusual.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his exposure to noise during military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's current tinnitus disability had its inception during service. The Veteran's credible written statements and hearing testimony support this finding, warranting service connection for tinnitus. The claim of residuals of traumatic brain injury remains pending as further development is required.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and found that the Veteran's hearing loss disability warrants a 10 percent rating, but not an increased rating. The gunshot wound to the right lower back area is rated as noncompensable.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete service treatment records and outstanding VA treatment records. The Veteran is seeking service connection for cervical spine disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected, and he is granted service connection for this condition. The claims for right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss are denied as there was no evidence of a current disability meeting VA criteria.

The Board has granted a rating of 30 percent for peripheral vestibular disorder and tinnitus as residuals of TBI, effective from the date of the decision.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a neck injury. However, the claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus have not been granted as there is no evidence linking these conditions to service or noise exposure during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression and obsessive compulsive disorder) due to a lack of evidence showing in-service occurrence or continuity of symptomatology related to these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are sufficient to render him unable to maintain any form of substantially gainful employment due to his education, occupational background, and the impact on communication ability.

The Veteran's combined rating for his service-connected conditions (Anxiety Disorder NOS, Actinic Keratosis, and Tinnitus) is 80 percent. The Board finds that while the Veteran has significant service-connected disabilities, they do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. Specifically, a complete copy of the December 18, 2014, VA record must be obtained, as well as all other outstanding records pertinent to the claim. The Veteran should also be scheduled for a VA examination by an examiner with sufficient expertise to determine the nature and etiology of any hearing loss disability and tinnitus present during the period of the claims.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has decided that the appellant needs a personal hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at his local RO. The case will be returned to the Board for further appellate consideration after the hearing is scheduled.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are not related to service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.

The Veteran's right hip disability is not shown, and the Board finds no basis for service connection.,Service connection for tinnitus has been granted as it is reasonably shown to be related to noise trauma in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a chronic low back disability during his active duty service or within one year of discharge, and there is no competent evidence linking any current low back disability to his military service. The Board also found insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities and his military service.