Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2016

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as to schedule the Veteran for an audiological examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to his active military service, including noise exposure in service. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with the evidence being in equipoise. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Board has remanded the case to the AOJ for further proceedings consistent with a Joint Motion for Remand (JMR). The JMR determined that the Board erred in not considering tinnitus as a chronic disease under 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(a) and in evaluating the Veteran's credibility by finding that the failure to file a claim for tinnitus with his prior claims, along with the absence of tinnitus symptoms in the record prior to the claim, weighed against him.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further medical examination and consideration of his service-connected disabilities in the context of his employment, including their impact on his ability to work.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claims of service connection for headaches, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The case is REMANDED for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain employment records and provide a new opinion regarding tinnitus.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a nexus between current symptoms and service. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's current hearing loss is more likely due to occupational noise exposure rather than military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the Veteran's lumbar strain did not meet or approximate criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Veteran's tinnitus and right knee degenerative joint disease have been granted service connection. The initial rating for bilateral hearing loss remains pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is entitled to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as these conditions are presumed to have been incurred in service due to noise exposure during his military service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on the merits of his claims has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal regarding bilateral total knee replacements and left shoulder surgery.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as the proposed reduction of his rating for residuals of fracture of right fifth metacarpal was proper and restoration to a 10 percent evaluation is not warranted. The Veteran's tinnitus disability remains rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available. His bipolar disorder with alcohol abuse has been rated as 70 percent disabling.

The Veteran's claim for DEA benefits was denied because his service-connected disabilities did not meet the requirement of permanent and total disability. The RO proposed to reduce his 100 percent rating for depressive disorder, but a TDIU rating has been granted. The case is being remanded to determine if the current severity of his service-connected disabilities are reasonably certain to continue throughout his life.

The Veteran meets the percentage requirements for TDIU due to one service-connected disability rated at 60 percent or more, and his cognitive disorder has rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, back disorder, bilateral shoulder degenerative joint disease, and higher ratings for residuals of TBI and residuals of TBI with tension-type headaches.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and conducting a social and industrial survey to determine if his service-connected disabilities preclude him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has ordered additional development to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability and tinnitus. The case is being remanded due to incomplete VA examination reports, failure to obtain all relevant medical records, and other procedural issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pre-existing left ear hearing loss was aggravated by his active duty service, and right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are considered to be incurred in service.