Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2018

The Veteran withdrew her appeals for service connection for neck disorder, tinnitus, gingivitis, allergies, headache disorder, and chipped tooth. The claims are dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted, but the initial ratings for both conditions remain at non-compensable (0 percent).

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is causally related to his service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for various conditions and rating determinations. The specific issues include recurrent skin disorder, psychiatric disorders (including depressive disorder), sleep disorders (including OSA), peripheral neuropathy, prostate cancer residuals, and tinnitus.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete records, lack of VA examination, and need for further development. The Veteran's personnel records must be sought, as well as any relevant non-VA treatment records.

The Board has denied service connection for spinal disability, right ear hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and hypertension. The claim for sleep apnea is remanded due to the lack of a current diagnosis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, diabetes, and peripheral neuropathy, are rated at a combined 90 percent. The Board finds that these conditions preclude the Veteran from participating in substantially gainful employment due to their severity.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's tinnitus is likely due to noise exposure during his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral tinnitus is related to his active military service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The Veteran's left ankle, sinusitis, back disability, and neck disability claims are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of right ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes and has not had one at any time during the pendency of the claim or recent to the filing of the claim. The same is true for left ear hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and right knee disability.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations and a review of his service-connected disabilities, particularly his TBI and PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetic peripheral neuropathy and hearing loss, render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed because the appellant died during the pendency of the appeal, and thus the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of the claims.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service. The claim for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD remains pending as additional information is needed from the Veteran regarding his treatment records.

The Board has denied service connection for tinnitus, PFB, and a headache disorder. The case is remanded to obtain additional information regarding the Veteran's claimed stressor incident and to schedule a VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to December 3, 2009. The Board denied his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to these conditions.

Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is denied.,Service connection for a respiratory disorder and dental disorders are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions have been granted with effective dates based on when he filed his claims, not necessarily when the disabilities were first diagnosed or treated.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is denied, but his tinnitus and diabetes mellitus are granted. The rating for diabetes mellitus remains at 20 percent.