Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to June 11, 2011 was denied as he did not meet the schedular requirements for a combined rating of 70% or more due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him so helpless as to need regular aid and attendance or permanently confined to his immediate premises, thus denying the claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on aid and attendance or an account of being housebound.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and service connection for burn scars related to mustard gas exposure has been denied.,Service connection for the burn scars was not established.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation on and after May 26, 2009. The Board has granted TDIU for this period.

The Board has granted service connection for recurrent tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's tinnitus began during his military service. Service connection was denied for right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's conditions were incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions, as no VA examiner has provided an opinion on their nature and etiology.

For the period prior to May 19, 2017, the Veteran's disability rating was 40 percent and did not meet the criteria for schedular consideration of TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.,For the period from May 19, 2017, to November 21, 2018, the Veteran’s combined disability rating was 60 percent and did not meet the criteria for schedular consideration of TDIU; however, his service-connected PTSD precluded substantially gainful employment.,For the period beginning November 21, 2018, the Veteran's combined disability rating is 70 percent and meets the criteria for schedular consideration of TDIU; his service-connected PTSD precludes substantially gainful employment.

The appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to the Veteran's death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate these claims as they are moot.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo secondary to hearing loss are granted. The claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for interstitial lung disease is denied.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease is related to his presumed in-service exposure to herbicide agents in the Republic of Vietnam, and service connection for this condition has been granted.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and denied increased disability ratings for pigmentary glaucoma from March 5, 2016 to May 21, 2018. The Veteran's current pigmentary glaucoma is rated at 70% since May 22, 2018.,The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran’s tinnitus to service and denied his claim for service connection. For his pigmentary glaucoma, the Board noted that it required continuous medication but did not cause incapacitating episodes over the previous year.

The Veteran's tinnitus is currently assigned a 10 percent evaluation, which is the maximum rating authorized for tinnitus under Diagnostic Code 6260. The issue of entitlement to an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus remains on appeal. The matter of bilateral hearing loss prior to April 11, 2017 and since that date is remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral knee disability, bilateral foot disabilities, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to inadequate medical opinions in the June 2016 VA examinations. The case is returned to the RO for further action.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether tinnitus developed during service or is related to in-service noise exposure. The Veteran will need a new VA examination to provide this information.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied, and the Board finds that he meets the criteria for TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for Prinzmetal's angina on a presumptive basis due to exposure to Agent Orange, and has also granted entitlement to Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection are denied as the evidence does not support a retroactive award of benefits.,The Veteran's claim for left ear hearing loss is remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding her current condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his bilateral hearing loss with tinnitus, finding that he does not have separate compensable ratings for dizziness and that his combined rating of 20 percent (10 percent for hearing loss and 10 percent for tinnitus) is appropriate.

The Veteran's PTSD was denied an initial rating in excess of 70 percent from December 20, 2017. The Board also found that the criteria for a TDIU were not met prior to July 17, 2009.