Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2020

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current symptoms began during his active duty and are related to noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to December 1, 2014.

The Veteran's claim for specially adapted housing is granted due to her service-connected disabilities resulting in the loss of use of both lower extremities, requiring regular and constant use of leg braces.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's tinnitus and sinusitis are service-connected, but has remanded for additional development regarding his right knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to the need for additional evidence, including private treatment records.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus, and the Board dismissed the case as a result.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran did not have a hearing loss or tinnitus during service or within one year of separation. The Board also found that there was no evidence of noise exposure in service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus was incurred during active duty service and the Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's tinnitus, acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD and anxiety disorder), and bilateral knee pain were all granted service connection. The conditions are considered to be directly related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's tinnitus is not related to his military service due to a lack of evidence of hearing impairment or ringing in the ears during service and no significant permanent shift in hearing thresholds greater than normal measurement variability from entrance to separation.,Service connection was also denied for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), as there was no objective evidence that the Veteran experienced significant distress while in service, and his current diagnosis does not meet DSM criteria related to military service. The Board found that the Veteran's sleep impairment is less likely than not caused by or related to his time in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, chronic headaches, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including anxiety and depression) require additional development due to incomplete service treatment records.

The Veteran's PTSD prevented him from obtaining or maintaining gainful employment prior to February 25, 2019. The Board granted a TDIU based on the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after service. The Board also found that any current hearing loss disability and tinnitus are less likely related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran experienced acoustic trauma during service and has had continuous symptoms since then. The decision is based on presumptive service connection due to exposure to loud noises.

The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates on various service connection claims have been withdrawn.,All issues of increased ratings and TDIU have also been withdrawn.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete medical records and requests for additional information.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's exposure to noise during service is conceded, but further examination is needed to determine if his current conditions are related to that exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as the evidence does not establish a nexus between these conditions and his military service.