Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2015

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus began during his active military service and has continued since then, warranting service connection. The issue of bilateral hearing loss is addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus and a low back disorder, as well as an increased initial disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent for the service-connected left ankle prior to January 11, 2012, and in excess of 20 percent thereafter.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The issues of bilateral hearing loss and vertigo are remanded due to incomplete records and need further examination.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, but the appeal for tinnitus was withdrawn by the Veteran before a decision could be made.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are related to his military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was received on July 21, 2010. The Board found that the effective date cannot be earlier than this date as there is no evidence of a prior claim or entitlement to benefits.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical opinions and records in order to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the case for issuance of a supplemental statement of the case addressing the appellant's status as a substitute claimant, rather than on an accrued benefits basis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded him from securing or following substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, left index finger amputation, diabetes mellitus, tinnitus, compound fracture of right ulna and radius, and hammer toes, render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that the evidence supports a grant of TDIU.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo. The Veteran does not have a current disability of hearing loss for VA purposes during the appeal period.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for clarification on whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to military service and if it shares etiology with his service-connected tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service, warranting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is 30 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a TDIU under VA regulations. The Board finds that his service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case to obtain additional medical records and an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD or cardiovascular disease aggravates his tinnitus.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, migraine headaches, diabetes mellitus, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and tinnitus, are found to be of such severity as to preclude his participation in any substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to have developed primarily from noise exposure during his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities in November 2006, but reopened them with new evidence received since then.,Service connection was not established for cervical stenosis with disc protrusions and cord compression or lumbar spine congenital canal stenosis with intervertebral disc syndrome and nerve root impingement.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable, and the Board grants a TDIU based on his PTSD.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to his military service, resolving doubt in his favor.