Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the cases of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus for further development due to a failure to substantially comply with the Board's previous remand instructions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for tinnitus, left knee disability, right knee disability, and bilateral great toe bunion deformity with arthritis due to incomplete verification of his service records.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have started during service and has continued since then, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's TDIU and Chapter 35 (DEA) eligibility are granted effective May 1, 2007. The Board found that the Veteran was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities as of May 1, 2007.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown to be related to service, as her current conditions do not meet the criteria for a disability under VA regulations.,The Veteran's right shoulder injury was not shown to have had its onset in service or be otherwise related to service. Her current condition is also not related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for hearing loss in the left ear and tinnitus due to a lack of an addendum opinion addressing whether these conditions are related to noise exposure during active duty. The examiner is asked to provide an opinion on this issue.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his military service and credible assertions of noise exposure during service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected.,The Veteran's left shoulder disorder and migraines are remanded for further examination and opinion.,The Veteran's claims for a left shoulder disorder secondary to right shoulder disorders, and migraines secondary to PTSD are also remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for peripheral vestibular disorder and TDIU prior to June 18, 2018. The Veteran's claim will be readjudicated with a new examination addressing causation and aggravation of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's asthma is granted as service connected.,The Veteran's back condition is denied as not incurred in or related to service.,The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hand tremor, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right and left ankle disorders, right and left restless leg syndromes, and right and left knee retropatellar pain syndrome. The decision is based on the absence of a current diagnosis or evidence linking these conditions to active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on being permanently housebound due to a single disability rated at 100 percent and additional disabilities independently ratable at 60 percent.

The Board has found new and relevant evidence regarding the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, leading to a remand for further development.

The Veteran's headaches were rated at 30 percent prior to October 30, 2019 and granted a 50 percent rating thereafter. The Veteran is not entitled to an earlier effective date for TDIU or DEA benefits.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied as new and relevant evidence was not received to support the claims. The Veteran is also denied a rating in excess of the current assigned ratings for various conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is related to service, including noise exposure from his MOS of small arms infantryman.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the cases due to uncertainty regarding the appellant's status as a valid substitute for the deceased Veteran and further development is needed.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU beginning June 23, 2019, due to his service-connected disabilities. The effective date is based on the last day of his substantially gainful employment.