Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2020

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and no further action is required as the merits of the appeal are moot.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connected.,The Veteran's back disability is denied, but his sleep apnea is not related to service or a service-connected condition.,No new evidence was presented to reopen the claim for sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to in-service noise exposure. The claims are being returned for further development as per the January 2018 remand directive.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not support a link to military service.

The Board has denied service connection for residuals of a head injury, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The eye disorder claim is remanded.

The Veteran's TBI, headaches, intervertebral disc disease of the lumbar spine, right knee strain, tinnitus, left wrist sprain, right wrist sprain, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity have led to a TDIU being granted. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities significantly impair his ability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus and a combined evaluation of his disabilities are granted effective November 2, 2014. The issue of a combined 30 percent rating is dismissed as moot.

The Veteran withdrew her appeal for the issues of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, so the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and thus his claim for TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including hypertension, multiple orthopedic conditions, glaucoma, tinnitus, and anxiety with insomnia, have not rendered her unemployable since she retired from the Army in April 2013.

The Board has granted a 100 percent rating for bipolar I disorder effective April 28, 2012. The Veteran's service-connected bipolar disorder results in total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran has been unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation since January 13, 2017 due to his service-connected disabilities. The Board finds that the Veteran's entitlement to TDIU for this period is warranted.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and failure to address the Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service noise exposure. The appeal is returned for further development.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but has remanded the case to obtain an opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, and tinnitus on the basis of aggravation. The Veteran's preexisting hearing loss worsened during service.

The Veteran's gout is granted with an initial rating of 60 percent, effective April 1, 2016. Other service connection claims are denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate examination findings. The examiner must provide an opinion on whether the Veteran's current hearing loss is due to military noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the receipt of additional evidence. The Board will review this new evidence and consider its impact on his service connection claims.

The Veteran's back disability, not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident in service, is denied.,A current bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes has not been shown.,The Veteran’s tinnitus, not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident in service, is denied.,The competent and credible evidence does not reflect a diagnosis of cataracts.,The Veteran's hypertension, not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident in service, is denied.,The competent and credible evidence does not reflect a diagnosis of sickle cell anemia.,The competent and credible evidence does not reflect a diagnosis of a sinus disability.,The Veteran’s thyroid disability, not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident in service, is denied.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a nexus to current conditions.