Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2021

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment, with the Board finding that his PTSD is the primary cause of his unemployment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for kidney stones was denied in July 2015, and the claim has been reopened due to new evidence. The Board finds that there is no evidence of a nexus between the current disability and service.,Service connection for IBS was granted in July 2015 with an effective date of November 19, 2014. The Veteran's appeal regarding the effective date is dismissed as untimely.

The Veteran's tinnitus, right knee strain status post partial lateral meniscectomy, and right knee limited extension were denied increased ratings. The Veteran was granted a 10 percent rating for left eye optic neuritis.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. Bilateral hearing loss is found to have been aggravated by noise exposure during active service, while tinnitus is presumed to have begun as the result of acoustic trauma during active service.

The petition to reopen claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss is granted. The petition to reopen a claim for service connection for bilateral knee disability is denied, and the case is remanded.