Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2021

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for hearing loss, a back disability, hypertension or high blood pressure, and diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a nexus to service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his service-connected conditions do not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA medical opinions regarding the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prior to September 6, 2017. The case is now pending for further development.

The Veteran's death was not the result of his own willful misconduct, and at the time of his death he was receiving compensation for service-connected disabilities that were rated as totally disabling. However, due to a finding of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in an October 2006 rating decision, which awarded TDIU based on June 23, 2006, rather than July 1, 2005, the Veteran would have met the statutory duration requirements for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.

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

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his active service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, lumbar spine disability, and tinnitus, have prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to July 29, 2016. The Board has granted TDIU on an extra-schedular basis.

Service connection for prostate cancer is granted on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure. The initial tinnitus rating remains at 10% and the Board finds no need for an extraschedular rating. Other issues related to tinnitus are remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus denying his claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal for payment or reimbursement of medical expenses at St. Charles Bend Medical Center is remanded due to changes in VA regulations regarding coverage under the PACT Act and other health-plan contracts. The case will be readjudicated after determining what, if any, expenses were paid by Medicare or other non-VA health-plan contracts.

The Veteran's TMJD, generalized anxiety disorder with depressive symptoms, lumbar degenerative disc disease with small focal central disc herniation, right wrist sprain, status post right thumb fracture, healed, peripheral neuropathy of the median nerve (left index finger and right thumb), patellofemoral pain syndrome of the left knee, patellofemoral pain syndrome of the right knee, lateral collateral ligament sprain of the left ankle, lateral collateral ligament sprain of the right ankle, tinnitus, trochanteric pain syndrome including trochanteric bursitis (right hip), hallux valgus of the left foot, and hallux valgus of the right foot have all been granted effective dates prior to June 22, 2018.,The Veteran's recurrent urinary tract infection has not been granted an effective date prior to June 22, 2018.

The Board has granted a TDIU on an extra-schedular basis due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and coronary artery disease, which prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran is granted a total rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) effective September 25, 2019 due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, degenerative arthritis of the left ankle, chronic lumbar strain, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, have resulted in a combined rating of 90 percent. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current disabilities and active duty noise exposure. The Board also found that the criteria for presumptive service connection under 38 C.F.R. § 3.303(b) were not met.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and effective dates have been dismissed as he has opted into the modernized review system under the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA).

The Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative joint and disc disease of the cervical spine, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been denied. The claim for PTSD is being remanded.,Service connection was granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and vision loss, need further review due to potential death of the Veteran. The appeal is being remanded for additional development.