Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2019

The Veteran's left rotator cuff syndrome and tinnitus are granted as service connected. The Board found that the Veteran had a pre-existing condition, but it was aggravated by his active service.

The Veteran's maxillary sinusitis with allergic rhinitis and sinus headaches are granted a 50% rating effective December 12, 2015. The claim of an initial compensable rating for nasal septal deviation is denied. The claim of entitlement to a higher rating for obstructive sleep apnea is denied. The claim of entitlement to a higher rating for tinnitus is denied.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for extraschedular consideration due to the severity of his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his employment.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but the claims for right ear hearing loss and initial compensable disability rating for left ear hearing loss are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, as his hearing loss and tinnitus would have no impact on his employability. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against a claim for TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his in-service noise exposure.,Service connection for tinnitus was also granted, with the Board concluding that the Veteran's current condition is linked to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to February 8, 2018 is denied as the evidence does not show that it was factually ascertainable that he was unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities during that period.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus as the evidence did not support a link to military service.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is granted service connection, but his PTSD and tinnitus claims are denied.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be caused by her active service and has been granted as a result.

The Veteran's tinnitus is presumed to be etiologically related to his service. The case for bilateral hearing loss requires additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's application to reopen his claim for bilateral hearing loss is granted. Service connection for tinnitus is granted. The claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his service, and therefore grants the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure, and thus service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, tinnitus, back condition, neck condition, and bilateral SNHL has been reopened. Service connection is granted for the acquired psychiatric disorder. Tinnitus is also granted as service connected. The claims for back condition, neck condition, and bilateral SNHL are denied.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or any other compensable factors.

The Veteran's death was not caused by his service-connected conditions, and he did not meet the criteria for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.

The Veteran's appeal is denied for a rating in excess of 20 percent for shell fragment wound of the left deltoid, and for ratings in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss from January 21, 2014 onwards. The Veteran also has his initial compensable rating for left deltoid residual scar associated with shell fragment wound denied.,The Veteran's tinnitus is not rated higher than 10 percent since January 21, 2014. His arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease from March 26, 2013 to February 14, 2017 was rated at 60 percent and from February 15, 2017 onwards at 100 percent.,The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is not rated higher than 20 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for shin splints. The decision on tinnitus is based on the Veteran's reported history of continuous tinnitus since service, while the denial of shin splints is due to a lack of evidence of chronic disability.

Service connection for a low back disorder, tinnitus, sleep apnea, cardiovascular (CV) disorder, diabetes mellitus (DM), and hypertension was denied.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder was denied.