Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2017

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for tinnitus has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and consideration of new evidence. The issue remains about entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for otitis media with scarring.

The Board has determined that the Appellant's countable income exceeded the maximum annual pension rate (MAPR) for reinstatement of death pension benefits as of March 1, 2015. Therefore, her claim to reinstate terminated death pension benefits is denied.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was denied. The Board found that the current disability ratings adequately reflect the severity of these conditions, as they are both rated under the direct service connection criteria.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 70 percent from June 1, 2007 to December 2, 2011. The Board granted an effective date of July 1, 2007 for the award of Total Disability Rating due to Individual Unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD has rendered him unable to secure and maintain gainful employment since May 13, 2011.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to in-service noise exposure. The claims for service connection have been denied.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU has been granted because his service-connected disabilities render him unemployable.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the Veteran's employability due to his service-connected disabilities and issuance of a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC).

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to his active duty service, including exposure to noise during combat. Therefore, both conditions have been granted service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a videoconference hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, make it impossible for him to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a rating in excess of 40 percent, and his tinnitus is rated at 10 percent. The combined rating for both conditions is 50%, which does not meet the criteria for TDIU under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a).

The Veteran is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities, and the Board has granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. Specifically, an addendum VA opinion is required to address the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, and a search should be conducted to obtain the Veteran's pay stubs from his Naval Reserve service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The issues on appeal are whether service connection is warranted for these conditions.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether these conditions are related to his active service.

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