Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2019

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as there was no evidence of chronic conditions in service or within the applicable presumptive period, and continuity of symptomatology was not established. The Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus were found to be more likely related to his civilian occupational noise exposure.

The Board denied the petitions to reopen claims for service connection for various conditions, including allergic rhinitis, bronchitis, athlete's foot, right foot fracture, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, eczema, and cellulitis of the right hand. The evidence did not show current disabilities during the appeals period.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and anxiety disorder was granted. Service connection was also granted for tinnitus, but denied for multiple fractures in hands and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are not granted, and these issues have been remanded for further development.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to her service, and she is granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to unclear evidence and need for further examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a back injury and tinnitus, finding that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral hip disability and granted service connection for tinnitus. For the bilateral hip disability, the Board found no evidence of in-service injury or disease that could be linked to current symptoms. For tinnitus, the Board found credible the Veteran's reports of noise exposure during service and continued symptomatology since then.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's testimony supports a finding of continuity of symptoms from his time in service and that his tinnitus began during active duty.

The Board has determined that there was a clear and unmistakable error in the March 1998 rating decision, which denied service connection for tinnitus. The effective date is set at October 1, 1994, as this is the day after the Veteran's separation from service.

The Veteran is granted effective dates of March 6, 2014 for service connection for PTSD, tinnitus, IVDS, and radiculopathy associated with IVDS.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for all issues on appeal due to the Veteran's testimony and submitted evidence. The claims are being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is etiologically related to service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease and anxiety disorder, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. His TDIU application is granted.

The February 2016 rating decision did not address the issues raised in the November 2011 and February 2013 NODs, so past-due benefits for attorney representation are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities combined to a 90 percent rating between December 20, 2010 and December 30, 2014. Prior to December 30, 2014, the Veteran was not unemployable due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate VA examinations regarding the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus. An additional examination is needed to determine if his hearing condition, including tinnitus, is related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and skin disorder due to inadequate VA examination opinions. The Veteran's claims are reopened as new and material evidence was received since the last final denial.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for tinnitus was denied as the effective date could not be earlier than June 2, 2007 due to the one-year waiting period after the liberalizing law change in 1999.