Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2019

The Board has granted earlier effective dates of May 5, 2014 for the awards of service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's claims were pending since he initially expressed intent to file a claim on May 5, 2014.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and obstructive sleep apnea are all granted as service-connected.,Service connection for arthritis of the hands and knees is denied.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are granted service connection. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss and skin disability (claimed as psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis) are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise that the Veteran’s tinnitus was caused by in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition. However, the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to inadequate medical opinion.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a right lower extremity disability, and left and right upper extremity disabilities have been dismissed. The appeal as to the issues of increased ratings for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and scar, status-post left hemi-laminectomy associated with degenerative disc disease lumbar spine is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been reopened, and both conditions are now considered to be related to his active duty service.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary and the appeal is, therefore, REMANDED. The Veteran must provide information about his Social Security disability benefits and any relevant private medical records.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating than 50 percent. The Board found that his occupational and social impairment is best described as 'occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.' For entitlement to TDIU, the evidence shows that the Veteran was last employed in April 2014 due to his service-connected disabilities, which meet the criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to September 30, 2017.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral tinnitus due to the death of the appellant.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions did not manifest during or within one year after his active duty service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for low back disorder, left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, right ear hearing loss, sleep apnea, and headaches have been reopened. However, the Board has determined that new and material evidence was not received to reopen these claims.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than August 29, 2014, for the award of a 50% rating for other specified trauma related disorder with major depressive disorder and history of PTSD is dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been reopened. The Board has ordered a remand to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions, as well as their relationship to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's need for regular aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities warrants special monthly compensation.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection and his posttraumatic stress disorder is granted a 70 percent rating. The issue of total disability based on individual unemployability was denied.

The Board has found the VA Hearing Loss and Tinnitus Disability Benefits Questionnaire opinions inadequate, and thus remands the cases for new etiology opinions that address the Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service noise exposure and symptom onset.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as whether they are related to service. The Veteran's claims for service connection will be remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of an examination addressing whether the Veteran's tinnitus is related to in-service noise exposure. The Veteran was exposed to loud noises during service and currently experiences tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection on multiple conditions have been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and opinions to determine the severity of his right knee disability, TBI, left knee disorder, and service connection. The Veteran also has an ongoing claim for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU).