Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2021

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service acoustic trauma. The decision is based on direct service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone did not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation prior to April 25, 2012.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to new evidence submitted since the final decisions. The Veteran's service connection claims are being reviewed again as there is now sufficient evidence to reopen them.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and a shell fragment wound of the left leg with a fracture, have rendered him unable to work since July 2005. The Board has granted his claim for TDIU on an extraschedular basis from July 1, 2005.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities, finding that these conditions are etiologically related to the Veteran's military service due to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and need for further development of evidence, including verification of periods of active duty.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The Veteran is granted a TDIU from October 11, 2016 due to his PTSD with alcohol dependence. SMC at the housebound rate is also granted from October 11, 2016. The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for diabetes and PTSD are dismissed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric condition (including PTSD and dysthymic disorder) due to a lack of compliance with previous remand directives. The AOJ is instructed to schedule VA examinations and obtain outstanding VA treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,The effective date for the grant of service connection for tinnitus was set at July 5, 2017, based on the intent to file a claim that same day. The Veteran did not have any prior claims or communications regarding this condition before July 5, 2017.,The effective date for an increased rating for left foot hammer toes was denied as it could not be determined if there was an increase in severity of the condition within one year prior to July 5, 2017. The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was granted on July 5, 2017.,The effective date for service connection for PTSD was set at July 5, 2017, based on the intent to file a claim that day. There were no prior claims or communications regarding this condition before July 5, 2017.,For tinnitus, an initial rating in excess of 10 percent is not warranted as it is already at the maximum schedular rating.,For left foot hammer toes, an increased rating beyond 10 percent is not warranted as there was no evidence of worsening within one year prior to July 5, 2017. The Veteran's claim for PTSD was granted on this date.,The initial rating for PTSD was set at the maximum schedular rating (70%) due to the severity and frequency of symptoms.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, and the Board dismissed them.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate opinions in previous VA examinations. The Veteran contends his current conditions are related to in-service noise exposure, but the VA examiner relied on a 2005 Institute of Medicine report without addressing its contradictory findings.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and has remanded the issues of bilateral hearing loss and pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB).

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for tinnitus before the Board could make a decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of adequate VA examinations and undelivered correspondence. The Veteran is required to provide his current address, and all outstanding medical records should be obtained.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issue of bilateral hearing loss remains pending and will be remanded for further examination.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of medical nexus opinions addressing these matters.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and has remanded the remaining issues due to lack of STRs and need for further examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a seizure disorder has been reopened, and the issue is granted.,Service connection for hypertension was denied as there is no evidence of chronic disease during service or within the applicable presumptive period.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his four service-connected conditions do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow any form of substantially gainful employment prior to August 3, 2009.