Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2019

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and tinnitus, but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to an inadequate medical opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertension have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or a nexus to service.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and lung disease. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment prior to his death.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is denied. The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment since his discharge from active duty in April 2005, and the Board has granted an effective date earlier than May 9, 2008 for the grant of TDIU.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for breathing problems, neck disability, right knee disability, right ankle disability, ulcerative colitis, pre-cancer of the colon (claimed as colon cancer), headaches, epigastric hernia, and bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence for a TDIU claim, including the need for updated examinations of PTSD and hearing loss.

The Veteran's tinnitus is presumed to have been incurred in active service. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not manifested in service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service. Service connection for prostatitis with reoccurring urinary tract infections is granted.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding their onset during service due to noise exposure. The appeals are therefore granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete information in his service records, including when he first experienced symptoms of tinnitus. The VA will need to clarify this timeline and conduct further examinations to determine if there is a link between the Veteran's current conditions and his military service.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus should be remanded due to insufficient evidence. An additional VA examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to his in-service exposure to hazardous noise.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities were denied as there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, and tinnitus due to incomplete medical opinions regarding in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's TDIU and SMC based on housebound status were restored effective November 1, 2016. The Board found that the original rating decision did not contain clear and unmistakable error.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable (zero percent), and the Board denied an initial compensable rating for this condition. The issue of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus was referred to the AOJ.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but has remanded both issues due to a lack of recent VA examination.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, but granted service connection for tinnitus.,The Veteran's tinnitus is considered to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection of a lower back disability was granted. His claims for hypertension and tinnitus were denied, while his PTSD claim was also denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability or etiological relationship to service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus due to insufficient evidence in the record regarding their onset during or related to military service.