Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2018

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, but has remanded the issue of service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine due to conflicting evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran has a history of acoustic trauma during active service and credible reports of experiencing tinnitus since then, which warrants granting service connection.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating of 50 percent for PTSD is granted. The Board finds that his symptoms align with criteria warranting such a rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in loss of use of a hand or foot, permanent impairment of both eyes, severe burn injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ankylosis of a knee or hip. Therefore, the claim for financial assistance for automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment is denied.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, and he is granted a TDIU rating. The Board found the evidence supported that his service-connected disabilities precluded him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

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

The Board has granted an effective date of January 7, 2016 for the service connection of various conditions including diabetes mellitus and its complications. The Veteran's original claim was filed on that date.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The remaining issues are related to back injury residuals, COPD, erectile dysfunction, chloracne, skin cancer, and neuropathies of the hands and extremities.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to in-service loud noise exposure. The decision is based on the presumption of chronicity under 38 C.F.R. § 3.303(b).

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to determine the severity of the Veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae, whether he has an additional disability due to VA treatment in 2010, and the nature and etiology of his acquired psychiatric disorder, hip, great toe, cervical spine, hearing loss, and tinnitus disabilities. The Board also requires a new examination for these issues.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or in-service incurrence.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches is denied as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis or in-service incurrence.

The Veteran's claim for a 10 percent rating based on multiple, noncompensable service-connected disabilities is dismissed. The appeal of his claims for hearing loss, tinnitus, and chest pain due to undiagnosed illness are granted.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and tinnitus are found to render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, meeting the criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric condition (including PTSD) is granted as service connected.,The Veteran's left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, left knee disability, and right knee cap disability are denied as not service connected.,The Veteran's bilateral pes planus, bilateral hearing loss, left groin disability, and right groin disability are denied as not service connected.,The Veteran's headache disability is denied as not service connected.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus due to lack of evidence linking the condition to active duty service. The decision also noted that depression was not related to service, but may be aggravated by a service-connected condition (coronary artery disease).

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied reopening of claims for service connection for joint pain through ankles, knees, hips, wrists, elbows, shoulder and back due to cold weather exposure, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Veteran's new evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claims.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and skin rash as the evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current condition is due to his military noise exposure during service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for DDD of the cervical spine and tinnitus was denied. The February 1993 rating decision regarding right knee disorder is considered final, and a CUE claim for that decision is also denied. Service connection for chronic orthopedic manifestations of lumbar spine DDD was denied with respect to the period from June 30, 2014 to April 19, 2015, and since April 19, 2015.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for bilateral shoulder condition. The Veteran's tinnitus is presumed to have been incurred during service due to exposure to noise, while his bilateral shoulder condition is not considered related to service.