Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2019

The Board has granted attorney fees based on past due benefits for the grant of service connection for tinnitus, effective September 13, 2007.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension was denied, and the Board found that an effective date prior to November 1, 2016 is not warranted.,Some of the Veteran’s claims were remanded due to insufficient evidence or need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's tinnitus, a constant ringing in his ears, is found to be related to his military service and the Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is dismissed. The right knee condition claim is denied. A total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to PTSD is granted, effective February 1, 2016.

The Veteran's travel expenses for ambulance transportation from a VA medical facility to a private skilled nursing facility were denied as he did not meet the necessary eligibility criteria for beneficiary travel payments under VA regulations.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to new evidence received since previous decisions. The Veteran's claim is reopened but a new VA examination is required to determine the nature and etiology of his conditions.

PTSD and MDD are currently rated at 70 percent, but the Veteran seeks a higher rating.,Obstructive sleep apnea is currently rated at 50 percent, with no evidence of respiratory failure or tracheostomy.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, and the issue of service connection for tinnitus remains granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a traumatic brain injury is denied as the evidence does not support that the condition began during active service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,An effective date of August 15, 2013, but no earlier, has been granted for the grant of service connection for tinnitus. This is one year prior to the receipt of the completed Fully Developed Claim form by the Veteran.,The claim for an effective date prior to July 31, 2014 for the grant of service connection for PTSD is denied as there was no new and material evidence submitted within one year following the denial in May 2013. The RO reopened the claim but again denied it based on lack of a nexus to service.,The Veteran's claim for secondary service connection for erectile dysfunction to include as secondary to service-connected PTSD is remanded due to an inadequate opinion from the July 2016 VA examiner.,The Veteran's claim for secondary service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) to include as secondary to a service-connected disability is remanded due to an inadequate opinion from the December 2015 VA examiner.,The Veteran's claim for secondary service connection for a headache disorder to include as secondary to service-connected PTSD and/or tinnitus is remanded due to an inadequate opinion from the July 2016 VA examiner.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication of the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the issues of service connection for right ear hearing loss, abnormal ventricular contractions with residuals, a lumbar spine disorder, a respiratory disorder to include pneumonia residuals, and a tonsil disorder to include residuals of tonsillitis.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The decision on bilateral hearing loss is remanded for further review.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as they are related to service, but needs additional evidence including a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus need to be remanded due to inadequate medical opinions in the December 2016 DBQ. The examiner did not consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding noise exposure during service, which could affect their conclusions.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis is at least as likely as not related to his active service. The decision also dismissed a motion alleging clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in the May 2013 rating decision.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. Service connection for myasthenia gravis, cardiac disability, lumbar spine disability, bilateral knee disability, and skin cancer is being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been reopened, with service connection granted.,The Veteran's claims for larynx cancer and ischemic heart condition were remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete treatment records and inadequate VA examination. The Veteran needs to provide complete treatment records, including those from his April 2019 audiogram and upcoming appointments with an ENT specialist. A new VA examination is required to determine if the Veteran's current hearing loss disability had its onset during active service or is related to in-service exposure to traumatic noise.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,Tinnitus has been rated at the maximum schedular evaluation since January 10, 2013. The Veteran does not have an exceptional case where the available schedular evaluations are inadequate.