Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2021

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his service-connected hearing loss, and thus service connection for tinnitus has been granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has remanded several issues including those related to thyroid disability, hypertension, neck disability, back disability, bilateral knee disabilities, bilateral ankle disabilities, bilateral hamstring disabilities, ischemic heart disease (IHD), and sleep apnea. The case is also remanded for additional development regarding herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient reasoning in the original decision. The Veteran's service records do not show hearing loss or tinnitus at separation, but there is evidence of noise exposure during service and post-service employment history that may be relevant.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone did not render him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment prior to May 7, 2015.

The Board has dismissed all issues related to the Veteran's claims due to his death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. However, the issue is being remanded as additional medical examination is needed to determine the etiology of the condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a bilateral lower extremity disability and tinnitus due to issues with VA's duty to assist, including obtaining private medical records. The Veteran is also required to undergo VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his current disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but denied service connection for chest pain, dizziness, and an eating disorder characterized by weight loss.,The Veteran's chest pain, dizziness, and weight loss are symptoms of her service-connected delusional disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to missing National Guard service records.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and failure to consider combined effects of service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded for a VA examination of his right knee disability, and another VA examination or opinion regarding the combined effects of his impairments.

The Veteran's claims for sleepwalking disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. Service connection is granted for all three conditions.,Service connection is established for a sleepwalking disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus as these conditions are considered direct service connections based on their onset during active duty.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis was denied because the evidence did not show that his service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the claims for left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, obstructive sleep apnea, and TDIU due to unclear reasoning in previous decisions. The Veteran's insomnia is found to be a symptom of his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to its inextricability with other claims, specifically the increased rating and earlier effective date for his coronary artery disease (CAD) and tinnitus. The decision on these related issues will be deferred until those matters are resolved under the AMA framework.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for right knee arthritis and cartilage loss from June 1, 2005 is dismissed. The earlier effective date claims for increased hearing loss and SMC based on hearing loss are denied. The claim for an earlier effective date for tinnitus service connection is also denied.

Service connection for tinnitus is granted, and a rating higher than 10 percent for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to determine the nature and etiology of his acquired psychiatric disorder, mild thoracic scoliosis and arthritis with multi-level lumbar spondylosis, and degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine. The Veteran will also be asked to provide stressor statements for his PTSD claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is granted. The claims for service connection for DMII and prostate cancer due to herbicide exposure are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied due to lack of new and material evidence within the one-year appeal period.,Service connection for tinnitus was also denied as there is no medical evidence linking the condition to active duty.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to lack of substantial compliance with the Board’s June 2017 remand directives and the need to obtain updated VA treatment records and conduct a combined effects VA medical opinion.