Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service, and therefore grants service connection for tinnitus. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between current hearing loss and service.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to June 6, 2002 for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to August 19, 1994 for service connection for bilateral tinnitus is granted and the effective date is set at August 19, 1994.,The Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation for his bilateral hearing loss is denied as it does not meet the criteria for an increased rating beyond 40 percent.,The Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation for his bilateral tinnitus is denied as it already meets the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have been incurred in service, resolving reasonable doubt in his favor. The issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD were denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure. The remaining claims have been remanded for additional development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding increased ratings for various conditions, including obstructive sleep apnea, right ankle degenerative joint disease, lumbar spine degenerative changes, left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic branch), right shoulder degenerative joint disease, left shoulder degenerative joint disease, tinnitus, heart disorder, and other related conditions. The appeals are dismissed.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to assess the nature and etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as these conditions may be related to his military service. The appeal will be remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are considered one disability as they affect a single body system. As likely as not, these conditions render him unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. This includes obtaining relevant treatment records, arranging for a VA or fee-basis audiologist to provide an opinion regarding the etiology of these disabilities, and then deciding the case based on the newly obtained evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU as his combined disability rating is 70 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for his service connection awards of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and coronary artery disease. The effective date for the award of service connection for coronary artery disease was determined to be February 27, 2013.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied as he does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD. The VA examiner found that the Veteran did not meet all criteria for PTSD and his symptoms were better explained by other diagnoses.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss and his TDIU claim due to service-connected disabilities were both denied by the Board. The Veteran had bilateral hearing loss rated at 50% and tinnitus rated at 10%. His combined disability rating was 60%, meeting the criteria for consideration of TDIU, but he did not meet the requirement of having one disability rated at least 40% disabling.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for tinnitus, right ear hearing loss, anxiety disorder, and PTSD. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and military service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the remaining issues of hearing loss and left knee disability.

The Veteran's service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus do not render him housebound or in need of regular aid and attendance, as his mobility and vision impairments are due to nonservice-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to be service-connected. However, there is no current diagnosis of a sleep disorder to include insomnia.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active duty service, including noise exposure from gunfire. As a result, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus began during service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU and DEA was granted effective from October 16, 2009. The Board finds that an earlier effective date is not warranted.