Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2020

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during service and has continued since his discharge. Therefore, service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Board has granted a schedular TDIU effective July 26, 2014.,However, the evidence indicates that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities may have prevented obtaining and/or maintaining a substantially gainful occupation prior to this date. The issue of entitlement to an extraschedular TDIU is therefore remanded for referral to the Director of the Compensation Service.

The Board has decided that service connection for tinnitus is granted. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including back and right shoulder conditions, are found to be sufficient to render him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board also finds that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for Dependent's Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits as he did not have a permanent total service-connected disability at the time of his claim.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected.,The claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, back disability, and benign prostatic hypertrophy are remanded due to insufficient evidence on the merits of these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus first manifested in service and is attributable to his military service, granting service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in equipoise and resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,Service connection for tinnitus has been granted, as the Veteran had continuous symptoms since service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate examination in determining their etiology.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are etiologically related to acoustic trauma sustained during active service, and therefore grants entitlement to service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus contributed to his death from anaphylaxis due to insect stings. The Board found that the Veteran would not have approached the lilac bush if he could hear, thus attributing his death to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases due to the Veteran's failure to report for a scheduled VA examination. The examiner is asked to review the claims file and provide an opinion on whether the Veteran’s hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to lack of new and material evidence, as the preponderance of the evidence did not support a finding that his conditions were related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate examination and reasoning.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches, finding that his current condition is at least in equipoise with the aggravation of his headaches by his service-connected tinnitus.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities other than PTSD render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU based on this finding.

The Board has remanded the cases for a new opinion regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service, including in-service noise exposure and boxing history.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for another VA examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's tinnitus, as he did not report to a previous VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a right knee disorder, a left knee disorder, and a neck disorder. The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied due to lack of evidence showing current disability.,Service connection is not granted for heart disease beyond cerebrovascular accident as there is no evidence linking it to service.