Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Board has reopened six previously denied claims of service connection and remanded them for further development, including obtaining VA medical records and scheduling the Veteran for examinations to determine if her current conditions are related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, but has granted service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's TDIU and Chapter 35 educational benefits were granted for the period from March 24, 2011 to July 19, 2013 due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus are denied. However, the Board finds in favor of the Veteran on his claims for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus due to exposure to loud noise during service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have started during service and has continued since then, meeting the criteria for presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise and resolves all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran, granting service connection for his tinnitus. For bilateral hearing loss, the case is remanded as there are conflicting opinions and a need for further examination.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus but remanded the issues of service connection for gastrointestinal condition and rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeals for an earlier effective date, a higher rating for TBI, and SMC based on housebound status have been dismissed. The Board has jurisdiction over the appeal of his claim for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from October 23, 2008 to March 14, 2012.

The Veteran's service-connected COPD and tinnitus do not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU rating, as their combined rating is only 40%. The case was referred to the VA Compensation Service Director for consideration of an extraschedular TDIU rating, but this was denied.

This decision denies the Veteran's claims of service connection for left eye disorder, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and tinnitus. The claim for left eye disorder is denied as new evidence does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.,This decision also denies the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hypertension. The Veteran does not have a current disability that meets VA criteria for hearing loss or hypertension, and there is no evidence linking these conditions to military service.,The tinnitus claim is denied as the Veteran is already receiving the maximum schedular rating.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for tinnitus, which he claims is due to noise exposure during his military service. The Board found that the Veteran's statements regarding in-service noise exposure and continuous symptoms since then are credible and resolved in favor of granting service connection.

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims of service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, low back disability, bilateral hip condition, obstructive sleep apnea, and erectile dysfunction was granted. Service connection is established for PTSD with a rating of 70 percent effective from April 9, 2014.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are granted service connection. The Veteran's bilateral pes planus is remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's appeal for separate 10 percent evaluations for bilateral tinnitus was denied. The Board also remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, coronary artery disease, hypertension, and TDIU due to insufficient evidence.

The case is remanded due to the inextricably intertwined nature of the service connection claims for diabetes mellitus and several other conditions. Additional development is required to determine whether the Veteran served on land in Vietnam, which could impact his service connection claims.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are granted, but the issues of service connection for hypertension (secondary to diabetes mellitus type II) and remanded for further review.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but remanded the hearing loss claim due to outstanding VA treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions including left shoulder, right shoulder, tinnitus, respiratory disability, sleep apnea, hypertension, and headache disability. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence linking these disabilities to his military service.