Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2016

The Board has granted service connection for a left ankle disability, bilateral knee and low back disabilities as secondary to the left ankle disability, and tinnitus. The Veteran's claims are all granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such severity as to effectively preclude all forms of substantially gainful employment for which the Veteran's education and occupational experience would otherwise qualify him, resulting in a grant of TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable as a whole, and he is capable of securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are not sufficient by themselves to preclude him from obtaining or maintaining any form of substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to his in-service acoustic trauma, and the Board finds that reasonable doubt must be resolved in favor of the Veteran. Service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA and private audiological treatment records, scheduling a VA audiology evaluation, and issuing a statement of the case regarding SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person or on account of housebound status.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a heart disability, to include as due to exposure to an herbicidal agent and as secondary to a service-connected disability is dismissed. The Veteran's appeal for special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance or being housebound is dismissed. The Veteran's appeal for total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in permanent and total disability that is due to the loss or loss of use of one or both lower extremities so as to preclude locomotion without the aid of braces, crutches, canes or a wheelchair. As such, he is entitled to a certificate of eligibility for assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Veteran's increased rating claims for lumbosacral strain, cervical spine subluxation, right elbow epicondylitis, allergic rhinitis, and asthma are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA examination reports and medical opinions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed hearing loss, tinnitus, and heart disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development and to provide a medical opinion regarding the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that additional medical inquiry is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The case is being remanded for an addendum opinion from the examiner who provided the January 2011 VA medical opinion.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to scheduling conflicts for a Board hearing. The claims will be returned to the Board after the hearing.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, particularly his right upper extremity disability, necessitate regular aid and attendance of another person. As a result, the claim for SMC on the basis of need for aid and attendance is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus was incurred during active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been granted. The Board found that the evidence was in relative equipoise such that a finding of tinnitus related to service may be conceded, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the appellant.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for right ear hearing loss was denied. The Board found that throughout the appeal period, his right ear had at worst Level II hearing loss.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and maintaining all forms of substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to in-service noise exposure. The claims for low back and right thumb disabilities have been denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and service.