Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2021

The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted. The Board found that the evidence supported a finding of in-service noise exposure, which is sufficient to establish service connection.

The Veteran's service connection claims for ischemic heart disease, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence of exposure to herbicides or in-service incurrence.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss has also been denied due to lack of evidence showing the disability manifested within one year after separation from service.,Service connection for tinnitus was not granted because the Veteran did not report any symptoms related to this condition during service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been dismissed due to his death during the appeal process.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of these appeals.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and recurrent tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to October 25, 2018 are denied as there was no communication prior to that date that could be construed as a claim.,The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for tinnitus and left ear hearing loss are denied as the evidence does not support such an award.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, right foot neuropathy and dystrophic toenails, and left foot neuropathy and dystrophic toenails are denied due to lack of a current disability for VA purposes.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for lower back disability is denied as the evidence does not support such an award.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as secondary to service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his in-service acoustic trauma.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has decided that the appellant's bilateral tinnitus is service-connected. However, the claim for bilateral hearing loss needs further examination and a medical opinion to determine if it was incurred in service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities precluded him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to TDIU effective April 1, 2019. The issue of TDIU prior to September 13, 2018 is remanded for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to reopen his service connection claims for Meniere's disease with hearing loss and tinnitus. The case is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining service personnel records and an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's Meniere's disease with hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hearing loss, tinnitus, lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and disc disease, left knee arthritis with history of meniscal tear, and right knee arthritis with history of meniscal tear due to new evidence added to his electronic claims file.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to August 1, 1994, for service connection of PTSD was denied. The Board also granted a TDIU based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his service-connected conditions did not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

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

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The low back and left brachial plexus conditions are remanded for further examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his in-service acoustic trauma and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service noise exposure, but no significant threshold shifts were found at separation.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the service connection claims for various disabilities, including left arm pain, right arm pain, right hip pain, left hip pain, right eye vision loss, bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, enlarged prostate, traumatic brain injury (TBI), let leg condition, right leg pain, anxiety condition, and left eye vision loss.

The Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.