Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2021

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are likely due to noise exposure during active service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The right ankle arthritis and hernia disability claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to conflicting evidence regarding his claimed former POW status and combat experiences. Additional development is needed, including verifying the Veteran's involvement in special operations incidents and confirming his former POW status.

The claim for service connection has been reopened, but the issues of service connection for a back disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and left ear pain are still pending and need further examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities meet the percentage requirements for a TDIU since September 5, 2017. The Board granted this claim on that date.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a rating for posttraumatic stress disorder.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for a right knee disability is granted. Service connection for tinnitus is also granted. The Board finds that the claims of service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, intervertebral disc syndrome, scoliosis, and right sciatic radulopathy are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities and right foot bunions are also remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including PTSD, hepatitis, and tinnitus, do not meet the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to their combined effect.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine has been denied.,The Veteran's claims for ratings in excess of 50 percent for service-connected headaches, and 10 percent for vertigo have all been denied.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has been denied.,The Veteran's claims for ratings in excess of 50 percent for sleep apnea have all been denied.,The effective dates for the grants of service connection for right lower extremity sciatic radulopathy, femoral radulopathy, and sleep apnea have all been denied.,The claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for right lower extremity sciatic radulopathy prior to May 27, 2021, and in excess of 40 percent thereafter has been remanded.,The claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for right lower extremity femoral nerve radulopathy has been remanded.,The Veteran's claims for automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment have been remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining gainful employment prior to August 12, 2009.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbar spondylolisthesis, adjustment disorder, left knee strain, tinnitus, and right elbow trauma, render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his in-service noise exposure. The decision is based on direct service connection as there was no evidence of a chronic disease during service or within the presumptive period.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for major depressive disorder was denied as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The claim for TDIU was granted due to the combined effect of multiple service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there was no evidence of CUE in the January 2020 rating decision, which found that the conditions did not begin during service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for migraines was denied due to failure to report for the scheduled examination.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD was denied as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection or disability ratings have been dismissed as she has withdrawn her appeal in its entirety.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service connected, with the Board resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the claim.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection claims have been remanded due to the complexity of his medical conditions, including CAD, tinnitus, hearing loss, GERD, kidney disease, claudication, and knee condition. The appeals are currently pending.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether it relates to service. The Veteran was exposed to noise during service and a private audiologist connected his tinnitus to this exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but the claims for bilateral hearing loss and lumbar spine disability are remanded due to incomplete VA examinations.