Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2018

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability, initial PTSD rating prior to February 1, 2016, and TDIU from February 27, 2007 to May 5, 2015. The claim for bilateral hearing loss was granted but not rated as the Veteran did not provide a valid Social Security Administration (SSA) award number.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for service connection purposes related to his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as there is no evidence of such conditions during or within one year after separation from active duty. The Veteran's right ear hearing loss was found to be unrelated to military service.,For his heart disability claim, the Board found that while the Veteran has a current diagnosis of CAD, he did not have any in-service heart problems for which service connection could be granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, degenerative disc disease of the cervical and lumbar spine, tinnitus, and hearing loss, do not meet the schedular criteria for TDIU prior to June 3, 2013. The Board finds that he is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities as of that date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus, left wrist DJD, and hepatitis C are related to service. The right shoulder, right knee, left knee, low back, and respiratory disabilities are not shown to be related to service. Bilateral hearing loss is also not shown to be related to service.

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

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no current diagnosis or evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have onset in service and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of left ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes or a cardiac disability, including coronary artery disease. Therefore, service connection is denied for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral tinnitus did not originate in service or for many years thereafter and is not related to any incident during active service. The claim for service connection for cervical radiculitis of the left upper extremity was also denied.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there was no evidence of a nexus between the disabilities and his military service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for tinnitus prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess his need for regular aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for tinnitus, IBS, and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine were all granted with effective dates of May 29, 2014. The claim for a higher rating for tinnitus was denied as there is no legal basis for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 6260. The claims for service connection for left shoulder disability and cervical spine disability were not addressed due to the remand instructions.

The Veteran's tinnitus and hearing loss have been found to be service-connected, with the evidence establishing that these conditions began in service.,New and material evidence has been received for both tinnitus and hearing loss claims, allowing them to be reopened.

The Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected as it began during his active duty service and has been continuously present since then.,New evidence received since the previous denial of service connection for a left knee disability indicates that the condition may be related to service. The claim will be reopened, but further evaluation is needed to determine if service connection can be established.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeals for the issues of service connection for blindness secondary to concussive trauma, increased rating for bilateral hearing loss, and increased rating for bilateral tinnitus (secondary to bilateral hearing loss).

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus on an extra-schedular basis were denied as the symptoms are not considered exceptional or unusual, and the rating criteria adequately describe his disability level and symptomatology.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have manifested in service and has continued since then, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's combined disability rating for service-connected conditions is 60%, which does not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU. However, after considering all evidence of record and the policy that veterans who are unable to secure and follow substantially gainful occupation by reason of service-connected disabilities shall be rated totally disabled, the Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unemployable.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for further development, including referral to the Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.