Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2019

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

The appeal regarding the issues of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The back disability claim is remanded for further examination and determination of its relationship to service or his service-connected knee disabilities.

The Veteran's restoration of a 30 percent rating for hypertensive cardiomyopathy with valvulopathy, effective April 1, 2014, is granted.,Service connection for tinnitus and headaches are both granted.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral foot disability, granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetic nephropathy, diabetes mellitus, bilateral hearing loss, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and tinnitus, render him unable to obtain or maintain gainful employment. The Board has granted a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability since September 12, 2012.

The Board has found no evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as his current conditions are not related to his military service.,Regarding the right leg condition, the Board has determined that a remand is necessary due to insufficient medical opinion regarding its relationship to service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims to reopen for service connection for left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, and tinnitus. However, it denied these claims as there is no medical link between his active service and his current conditions.

The Board found no current diagnoses of arthritis, hypertension, a bilateral eye disability, GERD, ED, cold weather injuries, peripheral neuropathy, or a right ear hearing loss disability. The Veteran's statements regarding these conditions were not supported by medical evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during service and is continuous since then, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, as secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, needs further review due to a duty-to-assist error. The case is being remanded to provide an updated medical opinion regarding whether the tinnitus was aggravated by his hearing loss.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for a TDIU rating due to his service-connected disabilities, and is unable to maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current tinnitus is attributable to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not render him unemployable due to his ability to perform the mental and physical requirements of his past employment as a custodian at a church.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and eligibility for specially adapted housing due to incomplete information in his medical records. The Veteran is currently receiving a combined 100% disability rating, but does not meet the criteria for special home adaptation grant eligibility.

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

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for vertigo as secondary to hearing loss due to an inadequate VA examination. The Veteran must be provided a new VA examination to determine if his vertigo is related to service or caused by his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for tinnitus and an acquired psychiatric disorder is being remanded due to insufficient evidence. The Board requests additional information from the Veteran regarding his stressors, and seeks a new VA examination to determine if any current conditions are related to active duty.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment, leading to a grant of TDIU.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of right ear hearing loss and tinnitus due to the Veteran's death.