Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2019

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is at least as likely as not related to service, and therefore grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has decided that the service connection claim for tinnitus should be remanded due to outstanding VA treatment records and a need for an opinion on whether the condition is related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to an insufficient opinion regarding the relationship between current hearing loss and tinnitus and in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was dismissed. The Board granted a TDIU rating effective April 11, 2014.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to April 24, 2014, for service connection for tinnitus is denied. The Veteran's claim for a finding of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in the September 1978 rating decision which denied entitlement to service connection for scoliosis of the thoracic spine is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise to support these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with effective dates ranging from August 11, 1995 to September 17, 2014. The application to reopen the claim of service connection for psychiatric disability has also been granted.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted. The Veteran is also granted a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a back disability, and a bilateral leg disability are all granted.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his in-service noise exposure. The issue of an increased rating for right ear hearing loss is remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for various conditions, including tinnitus, hypertension, Raynaud's phenomenon with complex regional pain syndrome, adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood and major depressive disorder (psychiatric disability), and erectile dysfunction. The decision also remanded several issues related to left leg disability, sleep apnea, urinary incontinence, and TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened and granted. The Board found that new evidence, including a private audiogram showing current hearing impairment within VA standards, was sufficient to reopen the claim.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted as it was first manifested during service and not attributable to any other cause.

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

The Veteran's depressive disorder is granted as secondary to service-connected diabetes and other nonservice-connected disabilities. The claim for a bilateral ear disability, otitis media and recurrent tinnitus, is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including hiatal hernia with GERD, coronary artery disease, PTSD, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantial gainful employment. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board denied a higher rating. The effective dates for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are also being remanded.,For headaches and plantar fasciitis, additional development is needed to determine if service connection should be granted.

The Veteran's right and left knee braces are not service-connected disabilities, so he is not eligible for a clothing allowance.,The Veteran’s low back brace was found to not cause wear and tear on his clothing based on the VHA Handbook 1173.15.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected conditions (PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus) did not contribute to his death by homicide. The medical opinions provided significant weight against the appellant’s claim.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and tinnitus render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, meeting the requirements for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus as there was no evidence linking the condition to active duty service.