Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2018

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (PTSD, hypertension, COPD, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and erectile dysfunction) precluded him from securing and following substantially gainful employment during the period from January 12, 2007 through July 22, 2009. As a result, he was granted a TDIU for this period.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was denied multiple times. The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records, including missing service personnel records and a VA examination report from August 2018.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to the need for further examination and opinion regarding their etiology.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including addressing the issue of service connection for hypertension and referring the TDIU claim to the Director of Compensation Service for consideration under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b).

The appeal on the issues of service connection for left and right foot drop is dismissed.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted. The denial of service connection for a low back disability by a May 1998 rating decision was not the product of clear and unmistakable error (CUE).

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

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are granted. The Board found that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding these conditions, thus resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of adequate medical opinion regarding their etiology. The Veteran's MOS as a jet engine mechanic suggests noise exposure during service, but his current conditions are not definitively linked to this exposure.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and consideration of missing records. The VA will determine if his conditions are related to his military service, including exposure in Southwest Asia.

The Veteran's claim for tinnitus was denied in March 2010, but reopened and granted effective December 12, 2014. The Board found no legal basis to grant an earlier effective date.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his in-service noise exposure and that there is continuity of symptomatology since discharge.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate examination reports and conflicting opinions. The issues include tinnitus, left knee disability, right knee disability, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, left lower extremity sciatica, right lower extremity sciatica, acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety and depression), and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's testimony regarding his in-service exposure to noise and subsequent ringing in his ears is credible. The claim to reopen the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding his hearing loss and sleep apnea disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for whether new and material evidence was submitted to reopen service connection claims, as well as the claim of entitlement to cause of death. The appellant must clarify her intention regarding substitution or accrued benefits purposes.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that both conditions are related to noise exposure during active duty training (ACDUTRA) periods in the Army National Guard.

The Board has granted the Veteran's applications to reopen his previously denied claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is at least a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims with new evidence. Service connection was also granted for both conditions.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II has worsened and he should be provided an opportunity to report for a VA examination.,The Veteran’s hypertension preexisted service and the Board finds that an additional VA examination is warranted to determine if there was an increase in severity during his service, and if yes, whether the increase in severity was clearly and unmistakably not due to the natural progress of the disorder.,The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of his bilateral lower extremities are less likely as not related to his diabetes mellitus type II. An additional VA examination is warranted to determine the etiology of the Veteran’s peripheral neuropathy of his bilateral lower extremities.,At the April 2017 Travel Board hearing, the Veteran testified that he was unable to work due to his service-connected disabilities, including his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II. The claim for TDIU is remanded and will be inextricably intertwined with the claim for an increased rating for diabetes mellitus.,The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for vertigo and tinnitus are remanded as new and material evidence has been received.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and rating increases have been denied. The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen his hypothyroidism and sleep apnea service connection claims, and the arthritis, back condition, neck condition, high cholesterol, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, prostate cancer residuals, coronary artery disease, scar due to coronary artery bypass grafting, scar due to radical prostatectomy, PTSD, and rating increase claims have all been denied.