Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2019

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, claiming ears ringing noise.

The Veteran's claims of increased rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for tinnitus are being remanded due to incomplete or unclear evidence. The VA needs to obtain updated treatment records, conduct a new audiological examination, and provide an opinion on the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is at least as likely as not due to exposure to acoustic trauma during active service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connected.,Chronic lymphocytic leukemia, diabetes, PTSD, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and skin cancer are all granted as secondary to exposure to certain herbicides.

The Veteran's tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by service, as it began more than one year after separation and is not related to his military noise exposure.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of a chronic disability during or within one year after service and no credible evidence linking current tinnitus to service, including noise exposure.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, diabetes mellitus, type 2, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The case is remanded for further development regarding exposure to herbicides/pesticides, chemicals, and ionizing radiation during service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as incurred in service due to exposure to loud helicopter engine noise without hearing protection during his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the issues of service connection for anxiety disorder, sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and tinnitus have rendered him unable to engage in substantially gainful employment throughout the appeal period, leading to a grant of TDIU.

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

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for new VA opinions regarding the etiology of his hearing loss, tinnitus, and arm disabilities. The claims for sleep apnea are also being remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected due to noise exposure during active duty.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but the case is remanded to obtain inpatient treatment records from Fort Campbell during the Veteran's heat stroke hospitalization.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection due to incomplete records and further review is needed.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current tinnitus is related to in-service acoustic trauma. The evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran’s tinnitus was caused by noise exposure during his military service.

The Veteran's case was previously before the Board multiple times. The decision is that he does not have legal entitlement to Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill) education benefits in excess of the 70 percent level due to having less than 24 months of qualifying service for purposes of determining his percentage rate.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, as his combined disability rating is only 20 percent.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examinations and incomplete military personnel records. The Veteran's hearing loss is being evaluated again, and a supplemental opinion will be needed regarding its relationship to service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence, including a lack of review of recent VA treatment records and an outdated medical opinion.