Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to an incorrect standard applied in a previous examination. The Veteran must provide any relevant private treatment records, and VA will attempt to obtain them on his behalf.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection as it is considered to be at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected coronary artery disease and hypertension.,Service connection for a right knee disability secondary to service-connected back and left knee disabilities was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support the presence of a current right knee disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and a stroke, as well as his claim for TDIU due to inadequate opinions in previous VA examinations.,Specifically, the Board requested an addendum opinion on the etiology of the Veteran’s sleep apnea, addressing whether it is at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by any service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but remanded the hearing loss claim due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were granted with effective dates of October 17, 2014.,However, the Board denied earlier effective dates as the date of entitlement was prior to October 17, 2014.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a kidney disorder is denied. The claim for tinnitus is granted, and the claim for gastrointestinal disorder is remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and other conditions that have rendered him unable to maintain gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for tinnitus and TDIU were denied as there was insufficient evidence to support the severity of his conditions, and he did not meet the criteria for extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to December 3, 2019.,From December 3, 2019, the claim for TDIU is moot as the Veteran is in receipt of the maximum allowable benefit.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete records and the need for additional medical examinations. The issues include service connection for various conditions, but no specific exposure basis or presumption is mentioned.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. Service connection for PTSD, low back disability, and sleep apnea was denied due to lack of a confirmed in-service stressor or relationship to service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's fatty tumor and its residuals, status post-excision, as due to herbicide exposure during his active duty in Vietnam.,Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability or a nexus between the conditions and service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disorder and tinnitus due to additional development being required.

The Veteran's claims for service connection related to headaches, OSA, insomnia, and tinnitus have been reopened. The VA has granted these claims.,A rating of 20 percent for lumbar spine spondylosis (lumbar spine disability) is restored.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and thyroid cancer should be remanded due to incomplete verification of his periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA).

The Veteran's TDIU was granted effective May 27, 2015 due to his service-connected disabilities resulting in severe physical limitations.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to noise exposure in service. The VA examination is inadequate as it did not consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding his noise exposure.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary to address due process issues and obtain additional evidence regarding the Veteran's employment prospects. The case will be remanded for these purposes.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of entitlement to an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss and total disability rating based on individual unemployability based on service-connected disabilities (TDIU). Specifically, the AOJ must obtain the August 2017 audiogram results referenced in the Veteran’s statements and clarify if a performance intensity function test was performed during the May 2018 private audiological evaluation.