Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2017

The Veteran's claims for service connection for GERD, hypertension, gynecomastia, bilateral degenerative arthritis of the knees, tinnitus, peripheral vascular disease (claimed as a bilateral leg condition), degenerative osteoarthritis at L3-4 (claimed as low back pain), left carotid occlusion, and bilateral hand injury have all been denied. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to service.,The Veteran's service treatment records do not show any complaints or treatment for the claimed conditions. His post-service medical records indicate diagnoses of GERD in 2000, hypertension in 2005, and bilateral degenerative arthritis of the knees beginning in 2004. The Board found no causal relationship between these conditions and service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is etiologically related to acoustic trauma sustained in active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected residuals of meningitis, but denied entitlement to an earlier effective date.

The Board has remanded the case due to a request for a videoconference hearing, and no rating decision or effective date is provided.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, with the evidence showing in-service noise exposure as a machinist and construction supervisor.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and for a VA examination. The issues are whether the Veteran has bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus that are related to his service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or chronic symptoms within one year post-service. The Board also found that the March 2016 VA examination was adequate and supported by the medical literature.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's tinnitus was also denied as service connection.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus. The Veteran's tinnitus was found to be related to his military service, while his hearing loss was not.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to January 11, 2008 for TDIU on an extraschedular basis due to insufficient evidence showing that his service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable solely at that time.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a videoconference hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals regarding whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's tinnitus did not manifest in active service or to a compensable degree within the first post-active service year, and such disability is not etiologically related to service. The Board finds that the evidence does not show that the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss and/or left ear hearing loss are related to noise exposure in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are not linked to disease or injury incurred in active service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a mood disorder, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has determined that his claim should be submitted for consideration of an extraschedular TDIU under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b).

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for TDIU and his service-connected disabilities preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA examiner regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were aggravated by his service-connected frostbite residuals.

The Veteran is entitled to a TDIU from October 14, 1997 through September 25, 2003, including on an extra-schedular basis prior to July 14, 2003.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus the claim for TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's TBI residuals are rated at 40 percent, effective December 19, 2008. The PTSD rating remains at 50 percent.

The Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during service and has continued since. The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was aggravated by service, as evidenced by significant threshold shifts in his audiometric results from before and after service. Service connection is granted for these conditions.