Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and bilateral ear disability other than tinnitus due to insufficient evidence regarding their onset during service or connection to service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus due to inadequate rationale in the VA examination opinions.

The Veteran's right foot plantar fasciitis, bilateral pes planus, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus are all granted service connection. The issue of entitlement to service connection for right ear hearing loss is remanded.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be etiologically related to military noise exposure during service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, but has remanded the issues of right ear hearing loss and left knee osteoarthritis due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with the exception of her right shoulder and left shoulder disabilities. The Board found that she has PTSD due to military sexual trauma during service, bilateral hip replacements related to service, migraines also related to service, and tinnitus related to in-service acoustic trauma.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of a nexus between his current disabilities and his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's symptoms have been continuous since service and resolving all reasonable doubt in his favor.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for tinnitus is denied. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and back disability are granted, but the TDIU claim is remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and left ear hearing loss are service-connected. The right ear hearing loss is not service-connected, as the pre-existing condition did not worsen during service. Tinnitus was not shown to be related to service.

The Veteran's psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as unspecified depressive disorder, was granted service connection. Service connection for hypertension and residuals of a cerebral vascular accident were also granted, with the latter being secondary to service-connected hypertension.

The Board has denied service connection for tinnitus and remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a nexus to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding his prostatitis, tinnitus, gout, sinusitis, hypertension, and degenerative arthritis.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) as he did not submit a completed VA Form 21-8940, which is required to determine his unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The evidence does not support that the Veteran’s service-connected conditions render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of adequate medical opinion.

The claim for service connection for tinnitus has been reopened and granted. The low back disability rating was restored to 40%. Service connection for the cause of death is denied.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to the pending nature of his other service-connected disability claims. The Board finds that his TDIU claim is inextricably intertwined with his other claims.

The Board has granted the Veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection for tinnitus and has determined that it is at least as likely as not related to in-service acoustic trauma. The Veteran's tinnitus is now considered a service-connected disability.