Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2019

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus preexisted service and were not aggravated by service, thus denying his claims for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities, finding that no new claims were filed before July 31, 2017.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is not related to his military service.,The Board also denied service connection for tinnitus, noting that it did not manifest until many years after service and there was no evidence of continuity of symptoms.

The Board has decided to remand three claims: bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and residuals of a broken finger of the right hand. The Veteran's service connection requests are being sent back for further development.

The Board has decided that the Veteran is not entitled to service connection for hypertension. The issue of service connection for tinnitus has been remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's appeal includes requests for an earlier effective date for service connection and a separate rating for tinnitus. The case is being remanded to adjudicate the CUE motion, which may affect the effective date issue.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and coronary artery disease, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to in-service noise exposure. Service connection for tinnitus was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence in the record, including a lack of separation audiograms. The Veteran is not presumed to have had preexisting left ear hearing loss at entry into service, but his right ear hearing loss may be related to active duty service as a cannon crewman.

The Veteran's DIC benefits were correctly calculated and paid, but the appellant is not entitled to additional compensation as her husband was only rated at 100% for less than eight years prior to his death.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted, but the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to a need for additional examination.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hernia issues, stomach ulcers, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) were denied as new and material evidence was not received within one year of the final October 2016 rating decisions.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding it related to noise exposure in service. Service connection for residuals of a head injury was denied due to the Veteran's willful misconduct during service.

The Board has remanded multiple issues including service connection claims, rating determinations for hearing loss and tinnitus, and the reopening of previously denied claims. The appeals are pending and will be addressed in a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC).

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including osteoarthritis in multiple joints and other conditions.

The Board has determined that further development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining SSA records and VA examinations for various conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him in need of aid and attendance, warranting SMC based on this need.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have started during his military service and was granted service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for a back disability and denied his claim for service connection for tinnitus due to lack of new and material evidence, as well as insufficient evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service and grants service connection for it. The appeals regarding seizure disability and lumbar spine disability are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded two issues: entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus. The reasons are that a VA examiner's opinion based on an absence of shifts in hearing acuity during active service is insufficient, and the Veteran provided evidence suggesting that noise exposure at an early age results in hearing loss not evident until later.