Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2018

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection as it began in service and continues. The respiratory disability is denied as not related to service exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and his TDIU claim is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for pulmonary fibrosis and asbestosis, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The decision also remanded the issue of service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board finds that he is entitled to TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that the evidence supports a link to service.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is dismissed as moot because her service-connected PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder has been rated at 100% since April 15, 2013. As she now receives the maximum special monthly compensation available for her disabilities, and her remaining service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for TDIU, her claim is dismissed.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during service or were related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including depression (claimed as PTSD), left knee patellar femoral syndrome, and left ankle tenosynovitis, were denied earlier effective dates.,Claims for service connection for lumbar strain and tinnitus were also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the cases of hearing loss and skin disability for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are due to in-service acoustic trauma. Service connection was denied for perforated eardrum as there is no current disability.

The Board has granted the reopening of claims for service connection for tinnitus, deviated septum, barotrauma of the left ear, sinusitis, and left ear hearing loss. Service connection is also granted for fibromyalgia but denied for chronic fatigue syndrome.

The Board has decided that a new VA examination is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's current diagnosed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as whether these conditions are related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete development and lack of evidence. The Veteran is asked to provide additional information about his theories of entitlement.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current tinnitus is related to his military service. However, it denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of evidence linking the condition to service.

The claim for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus has been reopened, but denied. The claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbosacral strain disability is remanded. The claim for service connection of a sleep disorder (including sleep apnea) is also remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's superficial and nonlinear right lower extremity scar is rated at 10 percent, but the painful scar remains noncompensable.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, left ear hearing loss, and right ear hearing loss. Tinnitus is linked to in-service noise exposure. Left ear hearing loss is also linked to in-service noise exposure. Right ear hearing loss worsened during service but the increase was not due to natural progression.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of right foot bunion was granted. The claims for residuals of right hand fracture, scar of the nose (residuals of nasal fracture), and left foot bunion were denied. Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connected, with the evidence showing that both conditions were caused by noise exposure during military service.

The Veteran's appeal includes issues related to tinnitus, major depressive disorder with anxiety disorder, and other physical disabilities. The Board has found that the maximum schedular rating for tinnitus is already assigned, and no extraschedular consideration is warranted.,For his major depressive disorder with anxiety disorder, the Veteran was granted a 70 percent rating, but not higher, as it meets the criteria of occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.