Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2020

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the cause of the Veteran's tinnitus, which is a condition related to service. The Veteran served in Southwest Asia and was exposed to noise during his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further action due to procedural issues and the need for VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. A new VA examination is needed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus due to inadequate examination and failure to comply with duty to assist.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, finding that the evidence did not show he was unemployable due to his disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were reopened. The Board found that the Veteran did not have current bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus related to his military service, but granted service connection for tinnitus as it was related to his hearing loss.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection due to the law prohibiting payment of benefits before the first day of the month following the month in which the award became effective.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the cases of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus for additional development, including obtaining new medical opinions to determine if these conditions are related to service.

An effective date of January 23, 2015 for the grant of service connection for right upper extremity radiculopathy is granted.,Effective dates earlier than June 27, 2016 are denied for the grants of service connection for tension headaches, TBI, tinnitus, mixed anxiety depressive disorder, left upper extremity radiculopathy, cervical spine degenerative arthritis, and thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease.,The Veteran's December 31, 2015 claim referenced neurological damage which should have been recognized as claims including TBI and the nerve damage in his bilateral shoulders. However, no head injury nor left shoulder neurological damage was mentioned.

The Veteran's appeals for various disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, knee disabilities, macular degeneration, hypertension, aortic blood vessel aneurism, vertigo, COPD, and congestive heart failure, have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran. The appeal is now moot.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected right-hand burn residuals, as well as their impact on his occupational and daily functioning. The claims are not about service connection but rather about rating determinations.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for tinnitus is dismissed. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for CAD, DM II, HTN, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's tinnitus and diabetes mellitus, type II are granted service connection. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis (claimed as lower lumbar condition), right foot condition, and left foot condition is denied.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II is granted. Service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis (claimed as lower lumbar condition), right foot condition, and left foot condition is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and has remanded the remaining issues due to a need for further examination and development.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus but has remanded the issue of service connection for traumatic brain injury due to conflicting medical evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of tinnitus is related to his active duty service. The other claims for bilateral hearing loss and erectile dysfunction were denied as there was no evidence of a current disability or a relationship between the conditions and service.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is granted as it was shown to be related to service. The Veteran's tinnitus is also granted, with the opinion that it began during active service.,Service connection for left knee tendonitis and obstructive sleep apnea (secondary to PTSD) are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus the TDIU claim is granted. The DEA claim is remanded for further consideration.