Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and sleep apnea due to incomplete VA medical opinions. The AOJ will obtain additional opinions regarding whether a service-connected disease or injury caused obesity, if obesity is a factor in the Veteran's sleep apnea, and whether his sleep apnea is proximately due to or aggravated by service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the condition originated during active service due to noise exposure as an aircraft engine repairman.

The Board has denied service connection for lumbar spine degenerative joint and disc disease, tinnitus, left hip tenosynovitis, right hip tenosynovitis, and cervical spondylosis.,Service connection was not granted for the Veteran's claimed conditions due to lack of evidence showing a direct relationship between his current disabilities and service.

The Board has denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and obstructive sleep apnea, but has remanded the claims for tinnitus and high blood pressure.,Service connection is being sought for these conditions, with the exception of diabetes mellitus and obstructive sleep apnea which have been denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to service, leading to a grant of service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran is unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities, resulting in a TDIU being granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and cervical spine disability as secondary to a service-connected condition have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of current disabilities or in-service events that would support these claims.,Specifically, the VA examiner indicated that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes, tinnitus due to an in-service disease, injury, or event, and cervical spine disability as secondary to his service-connected left clavicle fracture. The Board found that the Veteran's claims were denied based on lack of evidence supporting these conditions.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is dismissed as his sole service-connected disability, Meniere's syndrome with left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, already grants him a 100% schedular rating. The back disorder issue is remanded for further development.

The appeal for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is dismissed. The claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (to include PTSD) has been reopened, but the rating for degenerative joint disease of lumbar spine with spondylosis remains remanded.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The issue of secondary service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to tinnitus is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is rated at 40 percent since February 15, 2018. The decision also remanded the issue of a total disability rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU).

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The effective dates for the granted benefits are not earlier than October 19, 2018.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the current ratings for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, low back disorder, respiratory disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorder are all at their maximum allowable levels or do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate examination and consideration of lay statements regarding military noise exposure.

The Veteran's tinnitus, left knee condition, and right knee condition are all granted service connection. The Board found that the Veteran had a current disability related to in-service noise exposure for his tinnitus, an injury during service for his left knee condition, and symptoms since service for his right knee condition.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus, head injury, scar above the left eye, and anal fissure. The Veteran's claims for these conditions are based on presumptive service connection due to noise exposure in service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, PTSD with anxiety and depression, coronary artery disease, and ischemic heart disease have been denied. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus has been granted a higher rating of 40 percent from July 9, 2006 to July 21, 2014.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic coughing as due to asbestos exposure because no NOD was received within the appeal period.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of August 19, 2019, for his TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The evidence did not show that he was unemployable prior to this date.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU was denied because new and relevant evidence was not submitted during the specified period.