Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2019

The Board has decided the claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of left knee, lumbar spine, and tinnitus disabilities. Effective dates prior to October 17, 2011 are denied.,Remaining issues on appeal include service connection for various conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus on a presumptive basis due to in-service noise exposure. Service connection for PTSD was denied as the Veteran did not meet criteria for diagnosis of PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has reopened several previously denied claims but has not granted service connection for any of the conditions. The decision is mixed, with some issues being remanded and others having new evidence received that does not meet the criteria for reopening.

The Board has decided to remand the cases due to lack of VA examination for service connection claims related to left knee, right knee, and tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD have been reopened. The Board has remanded the cases to allow for further development and consideration.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss disability and service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was not received to reopen claims for right ear hearing loss, but did receive new and material evidence to reopen claims for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus. The claims are granted on a partial basis.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for tinnitus was dismissed as he withdrew his appeal prior to the Board making a decision.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for tinnitus was denied. His claim for an increased rating for PTSD, however, was granted with a 50% rating effective September 6, 2016.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, neck disorder, back disorder, and foot disorder due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the current conditions are related to in-service noise exposure. Service connection was denied for hypertension and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to lack of evidence showing onset during service or a nexus to service.

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

The Board has determined that the appellant's service connection claims for a back injury, bilateral hearing loss, and left ear tinnitus need further development due to incomplete records and lack of an examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes, bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, peripheral neuropathy of the feet, and erectile dysfunction (ED) have been granted. The Board found that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides in Thailand during his service but did not grant presumptive service connection based on this exposure as he served near the air base perimeter rather than directly at it.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the need for further examination and consideration of his employment history.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to December 2, 2014 for service connection of tinnitus, PTSD, and bilateral hearing loss as there was no completed formal or informal claim pending before that date.

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

The Board has decided to remand the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete records and the need for VA examinations.

The Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder is related to service and granted.,The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that hypertension began during active service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease, so it was denied.