Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that both conditions are as likely as not related to the Veteran's military noise exposure during his active duty in Vietnam.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and an initial compensable rating for TBI residuals are both denied. The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the claimed conditions and active service.

The Veteran's claims for left ankle, right ankle, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus disabilities were denied. The claim of service connection for anxiety and depression secondary to PTSD was granted. However, the Board found no current disability for the left knee.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as his service connection claims for a left shoulder disorder and lumbar spine disorder, are being remanded due to the submission of new evidence. The Veteran has also filed a notice of disagreement regarding these issues, but an SOC addressing this has not been issued yet.

The Veteran's claims for initial compensable evaluations for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and coronary artery disease were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation in any of these cases.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his right foot and ankle conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has found that referral for extraschedular TDIU is warranted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The right knee, back, tinnitus, ingrown toenails, left knee disorder (claimed as left knee disorder), bilateral hearing loss (claimed as bilateral hearing loss), lung disorder (claimed as lung disorder, specifically asbestosis), nasal disorder (claimed as nasal disorder, specifically rhinitis), and headaches have been denied. The Veteran's service connection claim for a psychiatric disorder has been granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's conditions are related to his military service in various ways. Service connection was granted for an unspecified depressive disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, tinnitus, residuals of a traumatic brain injury (TBI), epilepsy, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain/dysfunction.

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

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during active service, and therefore grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal for withholding of VA disability compensation benefits due to military drill pay was denied as the evidence did not support his claim that he had fewer than 83 days of INACDUTRA in FY 2011 and FY 2012.

Service connection is denied for tinnitus, heart condition (including ischemic heart disease and WPW syndrome), peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, and neck condition.,The Veteran's service treatment records are negative for evidence of a heart or neck condition. There was no objective medical evidence of peripheral neuropathy within one year after separation from service.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to the need for further development, including obtaining outstanding VA and private treatment records. The case will also be referred to the Director of Compensation Services for an initial adjudication on whether an extraschedular TDIU should be granted prior to January 28, 2015.

The Board has determined that the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and psychiatric disability are denied. The claims for service connection for left knee and back disabilities are remanded due to incomplete examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the disabilities and service, including noise exposure. The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence did not support the Veteran's assertions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD with major depressive disorder, pulmonary tuberculosis, and tinnitus, are so severe that they preclude him from obtaining and maintaining a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted the claim for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has determined that a new VA examination and opinion are necessary for the Veteran's claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as the existing opinions are inadequate.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of tinnitus was not related to his military service.

Service connection for tinnitus is granted. The obesity claim is denied as new and material evidence was not received. Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II (secondary to service-connected sleep apnea) is remanded.