Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2021

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate examination and opinion.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The skin cancer claim, which includes exposure to herbicide agents, requires further verification of the Veteran's alleged Guam service.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral flat feet, and remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (BHL) and tinnitus.

Service connection for May-Thurman Syndrome of the left lower extremity, including the left ankle, is denied.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted and effective as of the date of decision.,Service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is granted.

The Board has remanded several issues, including service connection for mitral valve replacement and an increased disability rating for PTSD. The Veteran's claims for tinnitus and TDIU are also remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss disability, skin condition, hypertension (high blood pressure), and prostate condition due to in-service exposure to herbicide agents. The Veteran is also being asked to provide VA examinations to determine the current severity of his coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation prior to April 24, 2014. The Board denied the claim for TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board denied service connection for adenoid removal with a resulting speech condition, bilateral eye condition, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus as the evidence did not support these claims.

The Veteran's tinnitus and right ankle disability are granted service connection. Service connection for a bilateral knee disability is denied, but the Veteran's back disability is remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for a 30 percent rating for Meniere's disease with vertigo, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss is denied. The earliest recorded expression of intent by the Veteran seeking a higher disability rating was on October 20, 2017.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not support a link to in-service noise exposure or secondary to schizophrenia.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment outside of a protected work environment, thus qualifying for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The diagnoses are presumed related to in-service herbicide exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss effective December 4, 2019. The decision is based on the Veteran's intent to file a claim within one year of receipt of the notification letter.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating, as both conditions are rated based on their severity under the applicable VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to a predecisional duty to assist error. A retrospective medical opinion is needed to assess the extent of his functional impairment from service-connected disabilities prior to February 13, 2020.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities meet the schedular criteria for award of a TDIU, and entitlement to TDIU is granted from November 1, 2019.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions obtained prior to the February 2020 decision on appeal are inadequate for adjudication. The Veteran's OSA is remanded for a new opinion addressing whether it is at least as likely as not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected nose fracture, while the tinnitus claim is also remanded for a new opinion considering the Veteran's in-service acoustic trauma and recent statements.