Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2019

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have started during service and continues today, meeting the criteria for direct service connection.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that both conditions are related to his military service due to noise exposure.

The Board has denied reopening of claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to lack of new and material evidence. The claim for prostate cancer is remanded as there is insufficient information regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military noise exposure. Service connection is also granted on a secondary basis for tinnitus due to his now service-connected hearing loss.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him bedridden or confined to his immediate premises prior to January 25, 2018. The case is remanded for additional development regarding entitlement to special monthly compensation at the aid and attendance rate after January 25, 2018.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD and tinnitus, finding that no earlier effective dates were warranted due to the one-year waiting period required by VA regulations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss disability were denied as there was no evidence of a nexus between the conditions and active service.

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

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus. The cases of left elbow disability, bilateral knee disability, gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), upper respiratory disability, and acquired psychiatric disability are remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claim for tinnitus is granted as it was reasonably shown to have incurred in service and persisted after service. The claim for a back disorder is remanded due to the need for further examination.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claims of entitlement to service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus was granted. The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were aggravated by active service, thus granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for a respiratory disability, to include COPD.

The Veteran's eye disability is denied as there is no current diagnosis and the September 1982 treatment for irritated eyes resolved.,Tinnitus is denied as it did not begin during service or be related to any in-service injury or disease. The September 2014 VA examiner opined that tinnitus is at least as likely as not a symptom of hearing loss, which the Veteran does not have.,The skin disability on legs and feet is denied as there was no diagnosed condition during service and no evidence of continuity of symptoms after discharge.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include schizophrenia, is denied as there was no in-service onset or disease. The Veteran's North Carolina Army National Guard enlistment examination did not show any psychiatric disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis is due to noise exposure during his active duty service.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and requesting addendum opinions. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are found to render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim for service connection for depression was denied. The Board granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for tinnitus.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for right upper extremity radiculopathy and granted service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection and his right ear hearing loss disability is denied a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's vocational rehabilitation and employment (VR&E) benefits claim requires additional evidence, including a new vocational rehabilitation evaluation considering his current symptomatology related to service-connected disabilities. The AOJ is instructed to obtain this information and associate it with the claims file.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for functional heart murmur and tinnitus due to insufficient medical evidence on record, particularly regarding whether his current conditions are related to in-service incidents or pre-existed service.