Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2017

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment prior to May 23, 2011 or since that date.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his active duty service. The claims for prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, and coronary artery disease have been remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and clarification of his claims, including a VA examination to address the nature and etiology of his tinnitus and kidney disorder.

The Board has reviewed the evidence and determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus. The previous denials were based on a finding of no current disability, and the provided evidence does not establish a current condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, as there is no evidence of such conditions within one year post-service. The claims are therefore denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus denying his claim for a TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not prevented him from maintaining full-time employment during the entire appeal period.

The Veteran has effectively lost use of his lower extremities due to service-connected Parkinson's disease, and is therefore eligible for specially adapted housing. The claims for service connection for diverticulitis and an earlier effective date for Parkinson's disease have been withdrawn by the Veteran.

The case is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a videoconference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO. The Veteran's claims of entitlement to a compensable evaluation for pseudofolliculitis barbae and service connection for tinnitus are pending.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is etiologically related to his military service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition. The claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a disability meeting VA criteria at any time during the period of the claim. Service connection for headaches was granted based on presumed relationship to PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses for most of his claimed conditions and there is no evidence linking these conditions to service. Service connection is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including VA examinations to evaluate his bilateral SNHL, tinnitus, and ITP conditions. Additionally, a new VA ophthalmological examination is needed to assess the current severity of his cataract condition.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown to be related to his active service, including noise exposure.,A chronic skin disorder was presumed due to herbicide agent exposure during service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ) for further development. The AOJ will schedule a videoconference hearing before the Board at the earliest opportunity.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability or tinnitus, and therefore service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including verification of herbicide exposure and a VA examination to determine the relationship between tinnitus and service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings on appeal and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of missing documents.

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

The Veteran's TBI and chronic headaches due to head trauma have been granted service connection. The remaining issues are pending.