Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2018

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied because he failed to complete the required VA Form 21-8940 and provide information about his employment history, educational background, and income. The Board found that the evidence did not show that his service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or maintaining gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of an examination.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and sleep apnea. Service connection is being remanded for narcolepsy due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's service connection for hearing loss in the right ear, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss has been denied.,A rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is also denied. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's death was not related to his active duty exposure, and there were no claims pending at the time of his death. The claim for service connection for the cause of death is remanded due to inextricability with accrued benefits.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are etiologically related to acoustic trauma sustained in active service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to new evidence submitted since the October 2009 rating decision. However, further development is needed as a VA examination is required to determine if current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to military service.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings and effective dates are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.,Service connection for psychiatric disabilities, digestive disabilities (diarrhea and constipation), groin pain, and erectile dysfunction is also being remanded.

The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent, and no higher. The scars on his knees are not compensable as they do not cause functional impairment or other disabling effects.,The Veteran’s periodic limb movements have been found to be severe, but the Board has determined that this condition should be rated under a different diagnostic code (8599-8103) which is best suited for involuntary movements during sleep. The current rating of noncompensable is maintained as the symptoms do not meet criteria for a compensable rating.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has not been established due to lack of audiometric test results meeting the requirements of 38 C.F.R. § 3.385.

The Board denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for service connection of PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The claims were not considered as having been filed prior to June 3, 2015.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The decision found no evidence of current disabilities related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral tinnitus, finding that his symptoms are at least as likely as not due to exposure to acoustic trauma during active service.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been reopened. However, the Board found that there is no current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes and insufficient evidence to establish a link between tinnitus and service.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been reopened. The Board has determined that new and material evidence was received, allowing the reopening of these claims. However, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss remains denied as there is no current diagnosis of a hearing disability by VA standards.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient examination reports, lack of consideration of the Veteran's lay statements regarding symptomatology, and potential noise exposure from post-service work. The IHD claim is also remanded for a new VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected as they originated during active service due to noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations.,An effective date earlier than July 1, 2014 for TBI and June 9, 2014 for tinnitus cannot be granted as there are no prior unadjudicated formal or informal claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of such conditions during or within one year after service. The VA examiner found that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus did not begin in service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected due to in-service noise exposure, and the Board finds that all reasonable doubt has been resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and has remanded the issues of increased ratings for shell fragment wound residuals of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, as well as the issue of TDIU.