Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2020

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including migraine headaches, dementia due to other general medical conditions, vertigo, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and left ear tinnitus, prevent him from securing and following any substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of examination, despite the Veteran being scheduled. The case will be returned for further evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are due to his military service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings of his left knee, multiple painful and unstable scars, multiple other scars, and tinnitus have been dismissed. Service connection has been granted for a psychiatric disability secondary to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a total disability rating due to individual unemployability.

The Veteran's tinnitus and hysterectomy claims are remanded due to insufficient information in the record for a proper decision.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted a 10% rating for accrued benefits purposes, and the effective date of service connection for tinnitus is set at October 29, 2016. The appeal for an earlier effective date for TDIU is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left and right knee disabilities due to a lack of effective date determinations in the February 2015 rating decision. The Veteran is also requested to provide any outstanding VA treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but has remanded the cases of bilateral hearing loss and prostate cancer due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has dismissed all claims of service connection due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, due to his death.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connection due to in-service exposure and continuous presence since active duty.,Service connection for chloracne and renal dysfunction is denied as there is no evidence of current diagnoses or a link to service.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction (due to herbicide agent exposure) is denied based on the VA examiner's opinion that age is more likely contributing factor.,Service connection for hepatitis C (due to herbicide agent exposure) is denied based on the VA examiner's opinion that it is not a presumed condition of exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, combined with other disabilities, rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment from October 2, 2006 to May 27, 2011. TDIU was granted effective October 2, 2006.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no current diagnoses or causal relationship to service. The case is remanded for further examination of the Veteran's back disability.

The Board has found that the Veteran's tinnitus is causally related to acoustic trauma sustained in active service and granted service connection for this condition. However, the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, remains remanded due to inadequate VA examination opinions.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not make him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, so his TDIU claim is denied.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted. The Board found that the Veteran was exposed to weapons fire noise during service, which is considered direct evidence of in-service injury or disease. For hearing loss, the Board determined there was no evidence showing a current disability existed at separation from service, while for tinnitus, the onset occurred with exposure to weapons fire noise and continued since service. Service connection was granted for tinnitus but denied for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left knee disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), and upper back disorder due to further development being required.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection and initial ratings for various conditions, including bilateral plantar fasciitis, allergic rhinitis, postoperative kidney stone, left heel spurs, hearing loss, tinnitus, erectile dysfunction, and kidney cyst. The Veteran's claims are pending further examination or evidence.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disability (to include PTSD). The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown to have had their onset in service or within one year of separation from service. The examiner opined that the current hearing loss and tinnitus are less likely as not related to service.,The Board also denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (to include PTSD). The Veteran's reported stressors, including witnessing airplane crashes, were found insufficient to meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD.