Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2020

The appeal regarding service connection for a left shoulder disability is dismissed.,TDIU for the period prior to July 2, 2012 is granted. SMC based on statutory housebound status under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) for the period beginning September 15, 2014, and no earlier, is granted.,The issue of TDIU for the period prior to July 2, 2012 is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, particularly PTSD, render him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that the criteria for TDIU are met as of March 3, 2015.

The Veteran's appeal for tinnitus service connection was dismissed due to the Veteran's attorney requesting withdrawal. The issue of erectile dysfunction secondary to diabetes mellitus type II remains pending and will be remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and low back disability have been denied as there is no current evidence of a hearing loss disability or tinnitus within the appeal period. The Board found that the June 2017 VA examination results did not show bilateral hearing loss for VA compensation purposes.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was also denied, with the Board finding that his reported tinnitus is at least as likely as not a symptom of his hearing loss and noting that there is no convincing evidence of significant acoustic trauma during active duty or periods of ACDUTRA/INACDUTRA.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for low back disability was denied, with the Board finding that the most probative evidence does not establish an etiological link between his current low back disability and a period of active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal. The remaining issues have been remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have had its inception during his active duty service, and the Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the criteria for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 were not met.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for hypertension and aneurysm, but denied reopening of the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he is currently working part-time and his employment does not qualify as a sheltered work environment.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, a hand condition, skin cancers, and a lung condition. The Veteran's claim for PTSD was also denied.,Service connection was not established for any of these conditions as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease, and the Veteran did not provide credible supporting evidence that his claimed stressors actually occurred.

The Veteran's claims for left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and right ankle disability were previously denied in a September 2004 rating decision. The Board has now reopened these claims due to new evidence received since the last denial. However, the claims are still pending as they have been remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following any substantially gainful occupation during the period on appeal, thus his TDIU claim based on an extraschedular basis is denied.

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

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for skin cancer, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and cardiovascular disorder due to exposure to herbicides. The VA examiner is requested to provide an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis is related to in-service noise exposure and resolving doubt in his favor.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased evaluation of tinnitus is denied as the maximum schedular rating has already been assigned.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection and evaluations for various conditions are remanded due to need for additional medical examinations.

The Board denied the appeal because a valid Notice of Disagreement (NOD) was not filed in response to the June 12 and June 22, 2015 rating decisions. The Veteran did not file a timely NOD within one year from the date that the RO mailed notice of the decision.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD was denied, and his claim for TDIU was also denied. The Board found that the Veteran’s PTSD more nearly approximated occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity but did not meet the criteria for a 70% or higher disability rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure and grants his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown as chronic in service, did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period, and are not otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.,The Veteran’s tinnitus was not shown as chronic in service, did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period, and is not otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease. The Veteran's subjective reports of onset were inconsistent with his contemporaneous treatment records.,The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of psychiatric disability (including PTSD, MST, substance and alcohol abuse, schizophrenia, and depression) that began during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.