Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2018

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, both on a schedular and extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected condition, and the claim for cause of death is denied. The burial benefits were also denied as they did not exceed $300.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of PTSD was granted, with a 50% evaluation effective September 27, 2011.,Claims for service connection for lumbar spine disability and bilateral tinnitus were denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's active military service.

The Board denied service connection and all rating claims, including TDIU, for the claimed conditions. The Veteran's diabetes is not related to his military service. His acquired mental disorder, left knee disorder, heart disorder, right knee disorder, right ankle disorder, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and right middle finger disorder are also not related to his military service.

The Board has denied service connection for cervical spine disorder, lumbar spine disorder, tinnitus, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The case is remanded to obtain additional information regarding the Veteran's in-service stressors and to schedule a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues, including a request to reopen service connection for Paget’s disease and remand of other claims.,Service connection is denied for tinnitus, hypertriglyceridemia, memory loss, panic disorder with agoraphobia, and the rating for MS remains unchanged.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection as a result of new and material evidence being submitted, with the Board finding that it is at least as likely as not that the condition began during his military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have started during service and the Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connected.,The Veteran's anxiety disorder is granted as service connected.,Service connection for hypertension is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a right knee disability, left ankle disability, tinnitus, sleep apnea, or skin condition of the total body that began during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. The skin condition of the total body is considered secondary to his service-connected idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis.

The Veteran's petition to reopen the previously denied claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability was granted. Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were also granted as service-connected, while sleep apnea, valvular heart disease (claimed as ischemic heart disease), and hypertension were denied.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is established based on noise exposure during combat in Vietnam. Service connection for valvular heart disease was not established due to lack of evidence showing it was incurred or caused by service, including herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, allergic rhinitis, and tension headaches have been granted. The Veteran's claim for a heart disorder has been denied. Other issues related to his service-connected conditions or disabilities are being remanded.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral ankle disorder and alopecia have been denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or a relationship to service.,The Veteran's claim for sleep disorder, secondary to service-connected tinnitus and joint pain, has been remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the existence and etiology of any such disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The cases of lumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, bilateral foot disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and headaches are remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the remaining claims of low back disability, bilateral shoulder and knee disabilities, and skin disability due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person or by reason of being housebound due to a lack of an appropriate VA examination. The examiner must clarify if the Veteran is limited in his ability to bathe and toilet as a result of service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to the Veteran's active duty noise exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The issue of whether new and material evidence has been provided sufficient to reopen the previously denied claim of service connection for tinnitus is remanded.

The Board has determined that the VA examination regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is inadequate, as it did not consider sufficient evidence to demonstrate a relationship between his service and current disabilities. The case is being remanded for an appropriate audiological examination.