Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder.,Effective October 7, 2013, the Veteran's right hand disabilities (thumb, index finger, long finger, ring finger, and little finger) are granted as secondary to his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has remanded the claims for hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of VA examinations. The lumbar spine disability claim is also being remanded for additional examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development and medical opinions.

The claim of service connection for tinnitus has been reopened and granted. The claim for PTSD is denied, but the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss remains at a 20% rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's sleep disorder, diabetes mellitus, Type II, peripheral neuropathies of the upper and lower extremities, right shoulder impairment, left shoulder impairment, cervical spine disorder, arthritis of the ankles and hips, and tinnitus are not service-connected as they did not begin during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.,The Veteran's cerebrovascular accident, status post is not service-connected as it was first shown years after separation from service.

The Veteran's tinnitus, lower back disorder, and neck disorder are granted service connection. The right middle finger arthritis and chondrosarcoma claims are denied.

The appeal regarding service connection for a left shoulder disability is dismissed.,TDIU for the period prior to July 2, 2012 is granted. SMC based on statutory housebound status under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) for the period beginning September 15, 2014, and no earlier, is granted.,The issue of TDIU for the period prior to July 2, 2012 is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, particularly PTSD, render him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that the criteria for TDIU are met as of March 3, 2015.

The Veteran's appeal for tinnitus service connection was dismissed due to the Veteran's attorney requesting withdrawal. The issue of erectile dysfunction secondary to diabetes mellitus type II remains pending and will be remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and low back disability have been denied as there is no current evidence of a hearing loss disability or tinnitus within the appeal period. The Board found that the June 2017 VA examination results did not show bilateral hearing loss for VA compensation purposes.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was also denied, with the Board finding that his reported tinnitus is at least as likely as not a symptom of his hearing loss and noting that there is no convincing evidence of significant acoustic trauma during active duty or periods of ACDUTRA/INACDUTRA.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for low back disability was denied, with the Board finding that the most probative evidence does not establish an etiological link between his current low back disability and a period of active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal. The remaining issues have been remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have had its inception during his active duty service, and the Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the criteria for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 were not met.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for hypertension and aneurysm, but denied reopening of the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he is currently working part-time and his employment does not qualify as a sheltered work environment.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, a hand condition, skin cancers, and a lung condition. The Veteran's claim for PTSD was also denied.,Service connection was not established for any of these conditions as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease, and the Veteran did not provide credible supporting evidence that his claimed stressors actually occurred.

The Veteran's claims for left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and right ankle disability were previously denied in a September 2004 rating decision. The Board has now reopened these claims due to new evidence received since the last denial. However, the claims are still pending as they have been remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following any substantially gainful occupation during the period on appeal, thus his TDIU claim based on an extraschedular basis is denied.