Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2021

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence supports a link between these conditions and military service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence is in equipoise with regard to these conditions being related to the Veteran's military service.

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 Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence is in equipoise with regard to these conditions being related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board has decided that the AOJ failed to adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection and whether his character of discharge is a bar to VA benefits, and has ordered remand.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to in-service acoustic trauma.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received for the service connection claim of bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to earlier effective dates for scars, right and left upper extremities status post cryotherapy.,The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 6260.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of tinnitus was denied as the earliest effective date is June 5, 2019.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and a back disability as secondary to his service-connected scar, residual of left leg injury. The claim for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for right hip disability is also denied.,Service connection was not granted for tinnitus because there is no evidence that it began in service or within the one-year presumptive period after service. The Board found that the Veteran's current tinnitus is more likely related to his non-service-connected bilateral hearing loss.,Regarding the back disability, the Board determined that it is less likely than not secondary to the service-connected left leg injury. The examiner noted that there was no indication of permanent neurological damage from the left leg injury and that the back disability began several decades after the left leg injury.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of tinnitus was denied as the earliest effective date assigned is June 5, 2019.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of in-service injury or disease that led to the current disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's active service.

The Board has determined that the evidence is insufficient to establish service connection for tinnitus, and thus remands the case for further development.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating as his symptoms do not meet the criteria for a 100 percent disability rating.,The Veteran was also denied total disability due to individual unemployability prior to September 10, 2021. The VA determined that despite his PTSD, he could still engage in substantially gainful employment.

The claim for an initial compensable disability rating for service-connected vertigo is dismissed.,The claim for an effective date earlier than May 1, 2015, for service-connected tinnitus is denied. The earliest date on which service connection for tinnitus may be effective is May 1, 2015.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss were denied initial disability ratings. The Veteran was granted TDIU on a schedular basis but not on an extraschedular basis prior to February 19, 2014.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in a TDIU rating from August 9, 2012. The case is remanded for consideration of an extraschedular evaluation prior to this date.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development and consideration, including obtaining an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The issues remain on appeal.

The Board has remanded several issues including service connection for migraine headaches, tinnitus, prostate cancer, peptic ulcer disease, and right thumb disability. The effective date of the grant of service connection for migraine headaches remains July 23, 2015.