Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2017

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a hearing before a Decision Review Officer at the RO to address his claims of increased rating for nasal septal deviation and entitlement to TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment for the entire appellate period prior to May 31, 2017.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his service, including exposure to noise during his time in Vietnam. As such, the appeal for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are rated at 20% and 10%, respectively, but his adjustment disorder with depressed mood is rated at 50%. The Board denied an increased rating for hearing loss and found that the Veteran is not unemployable due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran was not unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities prior to May 22, 2015 as he could perform substantially gainful employment in non-cold temperature work environments.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right ear sensorineural hearing loss, left ear sensorineural hearing loss, and tinnitus. The decision found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection in all three cases due to lack of a current disability or evidence of an in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran is granted an effective date of October 29, 2004 for the award of service connection for PTSD with depressive disorder.,An increased rating to 70 percent for PTSD with depressive disorder from October 29, 2004 is granted.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, thus granting both claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and back disability. The decision found that there was no causal link between these conditions and military service.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, effective from the date of the decision. The claims for tinnitus and hypertension are granted. Claims for aortic valve disorder and aortic aneurysm remain pending as their service connection status is not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and a scar have been denied as there is no evidence to support ratings in excess of the current noncompensable evaluations.

The Veteran's tinnitus is presumed to have been incurred in active service. The Board finds that the Veteran is entitled to service connection for her Chiari malformation and mandible disorder, as these conditions are considered presumptive due to their association with military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service noise exposure, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of aggravation of pre-existing conditions during service and that his current symptoms were not caused by military noise exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, and the Board has granted service connection for both conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus, bilateral knee conditions (left and right), left ankle condition, and hypertension are all service-connected based on direct evidence.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are likely related to his in-service noise exposure, resulting in service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as the evidence did not show that his service-connected disabilities precluded him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to May 28, 2010.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have manifested within one year of his discharge from active duty service, allowing for a presumption of service connection.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a right knee disorder, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus due to additional development being required.