Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2020

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service. The decision is based on credible statements of the onset of symptoms during service and medical opinions linking these conditions to noise exposure in service.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic lumbar spine disability, chronic sinusitis, hemorrhoids, seasonal allergies, and sleep disorder. The claim for service connection of tinnitus was reopened but not granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of current hearing loss disability. The Veteran's tinnitus, however, was found to be related to his combat service and granted.,Service connection for tinnitus has been established due to the Veteran's reports of noise exposure during active duty and the presumption under 38 U.S.C. § 1154(b).

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral chondromalacia patella with arthroscopic knee surgeries, endometriosis, fibromyalgia, right salpingectomy/oophorectomy, total hysterectomy, right ovarian wedge resection, hearing loss, tinnitus, proctalgia fugax, and left parietal meningioma. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for diabetes mellitus was denied, but he was granted a total disability rating for individual unemployability (TDIU) from December 17, 2008 to February 4, 2019.

The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at 10 percent under the schedular criteria, and an extraschedular rating has been denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in a previous medical opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. An addendum opinion is needed to address the in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for residuals of pleural cavity injury at left, secondary to gunshot wound with multiple fractures, p/o thoracotomy and wedge resection of left lung with MFB’s in right lung field is denied. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to potential inconsistencies in the medical evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and tinnitus do not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with previous directives and for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities combined resulted in debilitating effects that rendered him less capable of resisting heart disease.

The Veteran's combined disability rating of 70% due to service-connected conditions, including PTSD, hearing loss, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus type II, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy, has rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and DJD of the lumbar spine, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hypertension. The decision also remanded several other issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection are remanded due to inadequate examinations, missing VA treatment records, and new evidence not being considered.

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

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss due to new evidence submitted. The case is now remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (PTSD, diabetes, peripheral neuropathies, tinnitus, and hearing loss) render him unemployable, leading to a grant of a total disability rating due to individual unemployability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render her unemployable, and the Board finds that TDIU is denied.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, headaches, right knee disability, left knee disability, and tinnitus due to new evidence received since the January 2012 rating decision.,However, the claims are still pending as they have been remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU were dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's service-connected asthma and hearing loss disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus granting TDIU.