Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2020

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal. The appeals for service connection for eye condition and tinnitus are remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to his military noise exposure during service.

The Board found the Veteran's NODs were timely and thus allowed him to proceed with his appeal for reopening service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's service connection claim for tinnitus is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran experienced noise exposure in service and his lay statements support a finding of in-service onset of tinnitus, despite conflicting medical evidence. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to insufficient information regarding its etiology.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a chronic condition within one year post-service. The claims for service connection have been denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates have been remanded due to the need for further development. The issues of service connection remain unresolved.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are at least as likely as not related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 50 percent for his service-connected PTSD has been denied. Additionally, the Veteran's claim for TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities has also been denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, peripheral artery disease of the bilateral lower extremities, and bilateral hearing loss, rendered him in need of regular aid and attendance due to his inability to dress or undress himself, keep himself clean and presentable, adjust prosthetic appliances, feed himself through coordination issues, attend to the wants of nature, or protect himself from hazards. The Board granted SMC based on the need for aid and attendance prior to July 30, 2019.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right hip disability, back disability, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and leg radiculopathies, are not considered sufficient to meet the criteria for a TDIU from September 25, 2005, to October 29, 2010.

The Veteran's liver disability claim is remanded. His tinnitus, diabetic nephropathy, diabetes mellitus, PTSD, and left ankle disability claims are also remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, tinnitus, and GERD disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his hearing loss, frostbite, depressive disorder, and tinnitus, prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment. As a result, he is granted TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment, leading to a grant of TDIU.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted service connection, but his vision loss is denied. The decision also grants secondary service connection for tinnitus due to the now service-connected hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and residuals of heat exhaustion. The decision found that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.,There is no evidence showing onset during or within one year after separation from active duty, nor does there appear to be continuity of symptoms.

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

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease with implanted cardiac pacemaker, unspecified depressive disorder, diabetes mellitus, obstructive sleep apnea, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and tinnitus, render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. His TDIU claim is granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and sleep apnea. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding these issues.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and thoracolumbar DJD with IVDS are all found to be related to service. The claims for these conditions have been granted.