Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2018

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an increased disability rating for prostate cancer have been dismissed.,Service connection has been granted for kidney/renal cancer, metastatic brain cancer, metastatic cancer of the spine, and hypertension (HTN).

The Board denied the reopening of claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disability (including a nervous condition, depression, and anxiety), finding that new and material evidence was not submitted to support these claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and clarification of his address.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of tinnitus is granted, and the issue of increasing his rating for left leg radiculopathy (claimed as cramps) is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is denied as only a single 10 percent rating can be assigned for recurrent tinnitus.,The claims for left hip disability, right hip disability, acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea, and abnormal involuntary movements are all remanded due to incomplete medical records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder has been reopened and is granted.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current disability.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted based on in-service noise exposure and continuity of symptomatology.,Service connection for a cervical spine disability is denied due to lack of evidence of in-service injury or disease, and the absence of any compensable degree of degenerative disc disease within one year of service separation.,Service connection for sleep apnea is denied as there is no in-service incident and no evidence of chronicity.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew all his appeals with the exception of a full grant of a 100 percent rating for cardiomyopathy. The other issues have not progressed further due to withdrawal.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus claims should be remanded for further development, including obtaining a new VA examination to address the etiology of his hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for right hip disability and left hip disability as secondary to lumbosacral strain, and residuals of concussion (memory loss) and tinnitus. The effective date is not specified.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are at least as likely as not related to his military service. The appeal regarding a bilateral knee condition is remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and an increased evaluation for his adjustment disorder. The decision found that there was no evidence of a chronic disease in service or within one year after separation, and the Veteran did not have continuity of symptoms since service.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and earlier effective dates has been dismissed. The Board has remanded several issues including service connection claims due to incomplete records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a bilateral foot neurological disability, right shoulder disability, and tinnitus due to incomplete medical records and the need for further examinations.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss and an effective date prior to August 18, 2009, for the award of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was denied. The Board found that there is no legal authority for the assignment of an effective date prior to August 18, 2009, for the awards of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus under the circumstances presented.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus on a presumptive basis due to exposure to acoustic trauma during active duty.

The Veteran's initial rating for bilateral tinnitus is denied as the maximum schedular rating has already been assigned. The claims for increased ratings of lumbar spine disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy are remanded due to new evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and diabetes mellitus. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and his active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and low back disability have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations. The Board will consider whether these conditions are related to service based on new evidence provided by the Veteran.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's exposure to loud noise during active service and his credible statements about when it began are sufficient evidence to grant service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of sufficient severity to prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, thus meeting the criteria for a Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU) rating.