Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2019

The Veteran's heart condition, including atrial flutter, atrial fibrillation, bradycardia, and non-ischemic conditions, was aggravated during his active service in Iraq. The Board granted service connection for this condition.,The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is also a result of his cardiac disability, which he developed during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss is not related to his active duty service, but granted service connection for tinnitus and skin cancer based on in-service exposure to loud noises and sun exposure, respectively.,Service connection was established for tinnitus due to noise exposure during service. The Veteran's current tinnitus is considered as at least as likely as not related to the noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted. The Board found that the Veteran had noise exposure during service, which is sufficient to establish a direct link between his current conditions and service.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of bilateral upper extremities has been granted, with a rating of 30 percent. The other conditions and issues have either not met the criteria for higher ratings or were denied.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims for service connection, including diabetes, heart disorder, lower back condition, peripheral neuropathy of upper and lower extremities, hearing loss, tinnitus, GERD, and service connection. The issues are inextricably intertwined due to their interrelated nature.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since January 2012, thus meeting the criteria for TDIU.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for neuroendocrine cancer, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to incomplete records and need for additional examination.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been evaluated as noncompensable prior to June 12, 2009, and a 10 percent evaluation thereafter. The Board denied entitlement to TDIU due to the lack of meeting schedular requirements for a TDIU.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have been incurred in service, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease, left eye choroidal tear, and tinnitus, did not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU rating prior to May 16, 2017. However, there is evidence suggesting he may have been unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to these disabilities. The Board referred this issue to the Director of Compensation and Pension Service for an opinion under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b).

The Board has remanded the claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of valid audiometric results from VA examinations, and the need for an addendum opinion that reconciles the September 2015 private audiogram with the January 2018 VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that the Veteran is not unemployable due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence for hypertension and tinnitus service connection. The decision on hypertension could impact the tinnitus case, so both are being reviewed together.

The Board has decided that service connection for tinnitus is granted, but the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has determined that additional development is required due to procedural errors and the need for a new examination. The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's exposure to noise during his time in service is at least in equipoise with his assertions of such exposure.

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

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

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection due to a failure to provide adequate evidence and notification, finding no clear and unmistakable error in the original decisions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been dismissed.,The claim for a higher rating for PTSD has been denied, as the symptoms do not meet the criteria for a 100% disability rating.