Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2019

The Board has denied service connection for migraines and granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus. The remaining issues have been remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was received on March 23, 2015. The effective date of the award is set to that day as no earlier claims were filed.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current hearing loss and service exposure. A new VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's hearing impairment is related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was received on June 6, 2017. The Board found that the earliest date of entitlement is June 6, 2017, and thus denied an earlier effective date.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete service records, specifically those from the Veteran's National Guard service. The AOJ is instructed to attempt to obtain these records and provide a formal finding of unavailability if they cannot be obtained.

The Board has remanded the claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to failure of the Veteran to report for VA examinations. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current tinnitus is at least as likely as not related to his in-service noise exposure and resolving reasonable doubt in his favor.

The Board dismissed all the issues related to service connection and rating for PTSD, hearing loss, tinnitus, and sleep apnea due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus the Board has granted his claim for TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's tinnitus is considered to be related to his in-service hazardous noise exposure, while there is no evidence of a current hearing loss disability that meets VA criteria.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connected, with the hearing loss being directly related to in-service noise exposure. Tinnitus is also service-connected on a secondary basis due to the service-connected hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence in the record, including missing STRs and personnel records. The Veteran needs to undergo a VA examination to determine if his current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been reopened, and the Board has determined that service connection is granted for tinnitus but denied for bilateral hearing loss.

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

The Board has found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis for a right eye disorder or bilateral onychomycosis. The claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted, and the claims for service connection for sleep apnea, hypertension, and bilateral onychomycosis are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and physical conditions, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD. The RO must now evaluate these claims on their merits.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connected, with the Board finding that there is at least equipoise evidence in favor of a nexus to service.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection as it is considered a direct result of his active duty service, with the onset occurring during service and continuous symptoms since then.