Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2017

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted as he has a combined rating of 80% due to his service-connected disabilities, which meets the criteria for TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran requires regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected Parkinson's disease, which causes him to need assistance with daily personal needs such as preparing food, eating, bathing, hygiene, and medication management.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, and the Board grants entitlement to a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus on a secondary basis, but denied service connection for erectile dysfunction and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected tinnitus is currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling, which is the maximum rating authorized under Diagnostic Code 6260. There is no legal basis for a schedular rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure, and thus service connection is granted.

The Veteran's tinnitus is service connected, but his bilateral hearing loss and ankle disorders are not.,Service connection was denied for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and ankle disorders due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has found that the Veteran's tinnitus was not incurred in service, within one year of separation, or otherwise related to active service. The claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the inadequacy of a previous VA examination, which did not adequately address his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his need for aid and attendance. The case will be returned for further evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as his PTSD symptoms are not severe and he is capable of working any job he is physically able to do.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, as his combined rating is 100% and he already receives SMC for ischemic heart disease.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not warrant a TDIU as they are rated at 100% for depressive disorder and PTSD, with no other disability rated at or above 40%. The Veteran is currently employed and the evidence does not support an unemployability based solely on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran currently has tinnitus that had its onset during his military service, and the Board finds that VA examination report lacks probative value but finds the continuity of symptomatology since service to be credible. Therefore, the Board grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus due to additional development being necessary.

The evidence does not show that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation from June 25, 2010 to December 8, 2013.

The Board has found that the Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected, as his current diagnosis of tinnitus and credible statements regarding its onset during service are sufficient to meet the criteria for service connection. The case is being remanded for additional development related to bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is found to be aggravated by his service-connected right fibula fracture postoperative, with 1st degree pes planus. The Board finds that the Veteran has a depressive disorder that is secondary to his service-connected right fibula fracture postoperative.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have started during his military service and has continued since then, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a video hearing. Service connection claims and increased rating claims are pending.