Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2016

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated employment information and VA treatment records. A VA examination will be conducted to determine if the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's daughter submitted a claim for accrued benefits within one year of his death, and the Board granted these benefits despite it being filed after the one-year deadline.

The Board found no evidence of a right knee disability, back disability, or joint disability (other than as due to an undiagnosed illness) during service. The Veteran's tinnitus began after service and is not linked to military noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a private healthcare provider and determining whether the Veteran's PTSD should be recharacterized to include alcohol abuse. The TDIU claim will also be referred to the Director of Compensation and Pension Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's condition is etiologically related to his in-service noise exposure. The claim for sleep apnea remains pending as it was not fully adjudicated.

The Board denied service connection for recurrent tinnitus and left foot and ankle disability. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left foot and ankle disability is being remanded to the RO.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, tinnitus, and diabetes mellitus were granted effective May 11, 2007.,A new claim of service connection for hearing loss was denied without reopening the previous denial.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to in-service acoustic trauma and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The issue of bilateral hearing loss disability remains pending as it was not addressed by the August 2010 VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to additional development being needed on the claim for service connection for hepatitis C. The Veteran's representative referenced an article that needs to be provided, and if it is, a VA gastroenterologist or infectious disease specialist will provide an addendum opinion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus had its onset in active service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including an adequate VA examination.

The appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant's representative, thus the case is dismissed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran. The claims for service connection are granted.

The Veteran's claims to service connect hearing loss and tinnitus are reopened, but the case is REMANDED for additional development.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to his service, and the claim for service connection is granted.,There was no additional disability caused by VA surgical care or treatment in this case, and compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for chronic infarction of the right testicle is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not have onset during active service, were not caused by active service, and denied both claims.

The Veteran's claim for tinnitus was received on September 26, 1980. The effective date of service connection is set at the earliest possible date, which is September 26, 1980.,The Veteran did not file a formal or informal claim for major depressive disorder prior to July 7, 2011. Therefore, an earlier effective date is denied.,Prior to July 7, 2011, the Veteran was service-connected for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. He did not meet the eligibility criteria for SMC at the housebound rate until he received a 70% rating for major depressive disorder on that same day.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a chronic hearing loss disability in service or for many years thereafter, and that his current bilateral hearing loss is not related to military service. The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have been incurred in service, and the Board granted service connection for this condition. The claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and bilateral hearing loss disability are remanded.

The Veteran is entitled to a TDIU rating on an extraschedular basis effective from April 27, 2006 due to his service-connected disabilities.