Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2018

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board denied the claim for Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's employment history and work capacity. The Veteran is seeking a TDIU on an extraschedular basis, but additional development is needed to determine if his service-connected disabilities have precluded him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is denied. The Board also remanded the issue of entitlement to SMC based on need for aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board finds that the Veteran's tinnitus began in service and has persisted since, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the issues of bilateral hearing loss and SMC based on need for aid and attendance.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his in-service acoustic trauma.

The Veteran's tinnitus was not incurred or aggravated during service, and the Board found that it is less likely than not related to his noise exposure in service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hip injury, left leg numbness and burning, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to a lack of VA examination. The Veteran asserts that these conditions are related to service, including an in-service automobile accident.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his in-service noise exposure and granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's tinnitus was observed during service and has continued since then. The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise, thus granting service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are due to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's current tinnitus was manifest in service and the Board has determined that service connection is warranted.

The Veteran's application to reopen the claim of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and erectile dysfunction (ED) and urinary incontinence is granted.,The Veteran's applications to reopen the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are at least as likely as not related to service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's diagnosed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are etiologically related to acoustic trauma sustained during active service. As a result, the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his exposure to noise during military service.

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

The Veteran's right shoulder strain is granted service connection as it has been continuous since service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability is denied due to lack of current evidence meeting VA criteria for a disability.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted based on continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are etiologically related to his in-service noise exposure, leading to a grant of service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's appeals have been withdrawn and the claims of entitlement to service connection for various conditions, as well as initial rating claims, are dismissed.