Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2020

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of evidence showing current disabilities.,Service connection is also denied for memory loss as there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and to ensure compliance with due process requirements, including obtaining VA treatment records from December 2008 through August 2010, obtaining private medical records from Bay Medical Center, and providing a medical opinion regarding causation of the Veteran’s death.

The Veteran's service-connected dizziness is granted with a separate 30 percent rating, while his hearing loss and tinnitus remain at non-compensable ratings.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for vertigo, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to new evidence received since previous decisions. The claims are now remanded for further development.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is granted a 50 percent disability evaluation, effective April 22, 2016. The increased evaluations for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is at least as likely as not due to exposure to acoustic trauma during active service, including as secondary to his service-connected headaches.

The Board has remanded the claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's in-service noise exposure is conceded, but the VA examiner did not adequately address his service connection theory or consider his post-service noise exposure.

The appeal of the TDIU issue was granted, while the appeals for increased rating for PTSD and service connection for tinnitus were denied due to untimely filing.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete medical records and the need for a VA examination regarding the Veteran's hearing loss, tinnitus, and left knee claims. The appellant is seeking service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including gunshot wounds, hearing loss, tinnitus, joint diseases, and disabilities of the elbows, shoulders, wrists, ankles, knees, lumbar spine, cervical spine, esophageal cancer, skin disorders, heart issues, respiratory problems, and memory loss. The decision was based on a lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability, and the preponderance of the evidence shows that any hearing loss did not have its onset in service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability within one year following service discharge, and the preponderance of the evidence shows that any tinnitus did not have its onset during service.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities is remanded as the evidence does not include sufficient information to determine whether he is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to incomplete medical examinations and insufficient evidence regarding his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for bipolar disorder has been reopened and granted. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, high cholesterol, tinnitus, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder (including bipolar disorder and unspecified anxiety disorder), and sleep disorder are all remanded.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for tinnitus has been reopened and granted. The Board also found that the Veteran's hypertension is at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected IHD, warranting a grant of service connection.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of tinnitus, so the case is dismissed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an extraschedular TDIU prior to July 28, 2014 due to his service-connected disabilities not meeting the schedular criteria. From July 28, 2014, the Board granted a TDIU based on the evidence showing that the Veteran’s service-connected disabilities prevented him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board found clear and unmistakable error in the August 2013 rating decision that granted service connection for tinnitus, leading to its severance from the November 2018 rating decision. The maximum schedular rating of 10 percent is already assigned for tinnitus.