Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2021

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are due to his in-service noise exposure, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The evidence is in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus due to a duty-to-assist error in the January 2018 VA examination, which did not consider the Veteran's lay statements about noise exposure during service.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease, and the current conditions are not related to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are due to his in-service noise exposure, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to new evidence submitted since the last final denial.,Service connection is granted for left and right knee disabilities, but further examination is needed to address the nature and etiology of his low spine disability.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are rated as 10 percent each, with no higher ratings available.,The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is not service connected due to lack of exposure to herbicides and absence of a showing of in-service onset or continuity of symptomatology.,The Veteran's diabetic peripheral neuropathy was not initially manifested during service, may not be presumed to have been incurred during service, and is not otherwise related to service.

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 Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is at least as likely as not related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus and hearing loss was granted with an effective date of May 30, 1969.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disabilities, previously diagnosed as PTSD and now recharacterized as insomnia with alcohol abuse, are granted at a 70 percent evaluation from August 7, 2017 to December 6, 2017. The effective dates for the partial allowance of these benefits are also granted.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's symptoms began during his military service and have continued since then.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder due to concerns about the sufficiency of medical opinions and the need for additional evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded him from securing and maintaining a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of TDIU benefits effective August 27, 2015. The appeal regarding reopening his mental health condition claim is remanded.

The Veteran's service connection for a back disorder and other disabilities is denied, while his TDIU claim is also denied due to the lack of evidence showing he is unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions began during his military service and have continued since then.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and opinion regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been reopened, and the Board finds that service connection is warranted.,Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss. The Board found no evidence of a chronic disease in service or within a presumptive period.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to an inadequate VA medical opinion based on inaccurate facts provided by the examiner.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a back disability, hypertension, and bilateral hand numbness due to unresolved matters related to the character of discharge from the appellant's second period of service. The Board also ordered further development regarding the Office of Inspector General reports.