Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2019

The Board dismissed the appeal of service connection for tinnitus because the appellant requested to withdraw the appeal before a decision was made.

The Board denied service connection for a right ankle disorder, right leg disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, short-term memory loss, residuals of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and CFS due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.,The Board found that there was no credible evidence of an in-service injury or disease for any of the claimed conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral elbow condition, neck disability, and bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran was granted service connection for tinnitus.,Service connection was not established for sleep apnea.

The Board has dismissed the appeal as the issue of service connection for tinnitus has been resolved in favor of the Veteran with a grant of benefits effective January 28, 2016.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus and denied the remaining issues. Service connection is granted for right shoulder labrum tear with a rating of 20 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the claim for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis due to insufficient evidence showing that the Veteran is unemployable by reason of his service-connected disabilities. The case will be referred to VA's Director of Compensation Service for further consideration.

The Veteran's tinnitus is presumed to have been incurred in service due to continuous symptoms since separation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to conflicting information and inadequate examination reports. The issues include left ear disorder, respiratory disorder, right foot scar and residuals of shrapnel injury, and right lower extremity neuropathy.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his military service due to exposure to loud noise. The claims were reopened based on new evidence showing a current diagnosis of these conditions.

The Board has denied reopening of the Veteran's previously denied claims for service connection of various conditions, including left elbow, middle finger, knee, hearing loss, tinnitus, pulmonary disability, hypertension, and an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has vacated the February 28, 2019 decision of the RO in St. Louis, Missouri and Indianapolis, Indiana regarding TDIU due to violation of due process rights by not discussing a vocational specialist's opinion. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection as it began during service and is at least intermittent during the appeal period.,The right hip condition issue, including secondary to a low back condition, has been remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to incomplete information about his self-employment and the need for updated VA treatment records. Additionally, a VA examination is required to assess the functional impairment caused by his service-connected right knee degenerative joint disease, thoracolumbar spine degenerative joint disease with compression fracture, left knee strain, tinnitus, residuals of surgical scar, right lower abdomen, and residuals of surgical scar, right perineum.

The Veteran's left knee disability and tinnitus are granted as secondary to service-connected right knee disabilities. The Board found that the Veteran's total left knee replacement was more likely than not caused by his service-connected right knee disability, and that his tinnitus is at least as likely as not related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted service connection for tinnitus. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not related to service, but his tinnitus is related.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability or tinnitus during service, and there is no evidence of continuous or recurrent symptoms since separation from service. The VA examiner concluded that the current hearing loss was not related to noise exposure in active service.,There is insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the current tinnitus and active service.

Your claims of service connection for a mental condition, tinnitus, and a skin condition due to herbicide agents exposure have been granted. Your claim for an initial compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss has also been granted. As such, your appeals are dismissed.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted as his service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to maintain any form of substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational background.