Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, with the hearing loss being granted based on direct service connection due to in-service noise exposure. The tinnitus is secondary to the service-connected hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the TDIU claim due to inadequate development, including a lack of an examination addressing the combined effect of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities on his ability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, and thus grants these claims.

The Board has determined that a new VA examination and opinion is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as the previous examination did not consider all relevant factors.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, are not related to his military service. The Veteran's irregular heartbeat and bilateral leg condition have also been found not to be linked to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his service-connected low back disability and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity. The TDIU claim is also inextricably intertwined with these issues.

The Board found no evidence of current disabilities related to the Veteran's claimed right leg, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The lower back disability was not service connected as it is not linked to a service-connected condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's Meniere's disease with hearing loss and tinnitus was aggravated during active duty service, thus granting her claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling VA examinations and obtaining medical records.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted due to his service-connected disabilities, which render him unemployable.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for tinnitus, finding that the prior denial of service connection was subsumed by the April 2011 decision and dismissing the implied request to revise the April 2011 Board decision on the basis of CUE.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his exposure to noise trauma during service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition. The claims of service connection for a back disability, right foot disability, and left leg numbness/radiating pain as secondary to a back disability are remanded due to incomplete records and need further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are service-connected due to in-service noise exposure. The claims for these conditions have been granted.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain the Veteran's original claims file and to provide a new examination. The appeal will be remanded for these actions.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for higher initial ratings for right and left knee degenerative joint disease, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to his failure to appear for a scheduled VA examination. The case will be returned to the Board after further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to service and has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability or tinnitus, and finds that these conditions are not related to his active duty service. As such, the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied.

The Veteran's appeal for post-operative evidence of a distal fibular fracture, left ankle, was dismissed. The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as new and material evidence had not been received.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating prior to April 8, 2016 or a higher rating thereafter for bilateral hearing loss. For tinnitus, the Board also found no basis for a higher rating on an extraschedular basis.