Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2021

The Board has granted TDIU with an effective date of August 21, 2020. The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted.,Service connection has also been denied for intermittent vertigo (claimed as dizziness balancing issues).

The Veteran's combined service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted TDIU effective April 29, 2020.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for a new VA examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as the current medical opinions are inadequate. The examiner must consider the possibility of delayed-onset hearing loss and provide an explanation for why it is not related to service despite normal audiometric results at separation.

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

The Board has granted service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's reported stressors are related to his fear of hostile military or terrorist activity. The evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether PTSD meets the criteria for a diagnosis under DSM-IV/DSM-V.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from obtaining and maintaining a substantially gainful occupation since January 31, 2008. The Board has granted an extraschedular TDIU rating for this period.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was within the scope of his original hearing loss claim. The effective date for this award is set at February 23, 2012.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus began during or as a result of his active service, and thus grants the claim for service connection.

The Board denied the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and squamous cell carcinoma due to lack of in-service incurrence or nexus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was reopened, and both conditions were granted. A 10 percent rating is assigned for hypertension.

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

The Board has dismissed all appeals as the Veteran died during the pendency of these claims.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate examination findings.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is not shown to have been manifested by limitation of motion to 25 degrees from the side or less, and a rating in excess of 20 percent for this condition is denied.,The Veteran's bilateral eye disability does not meet the criteria for a higher than 10 percent rating due to lack of documented incapacitating episodes requiring at least 3 treatment visits.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have had its onset during service and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD due to MST, but granted remand of the issues regarding tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's claims are pending further review.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was denied because the evidence did not show that his current tinnitus is related to in-service noise exposure.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU was also denied as he had a single service-connected disability (persistent depressive disorder with major depressive disorder) rated at 70% and there were no other disabilities present.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected.