Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2021

The Veteran's death is not service-connected, and the claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is being remanded due to inadequate medical opinion.

The Veteran's bilateral knee and ankle disabilities are denied as there is no evidence of current disability.,The Veteran's chronic headache disability is denied. There is no evidence of current headache, bilateral knee, or bilateral ankle disabilities.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied, and the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted service connection for tinnitus. The remaining issues have been remanded.,Service connection is being remanded for left hip degenerative joint disease, right hip degenerative joint disease, degenerative arthritis of the spine, and bilateral feet (including degenerative arthritis and plantar fasciitis).

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's timely substantive appeals were received in response to the March 18, 2019 Statements of the Case. As a result, the appeal is granted for all issues listed.

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

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral tinnitus and a skin disability, claimed as pseudofolliculitis barbae. The decision found no current diagnosis of either condition and that any history of tinnitus or pseudofolliculitis barbae was not related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, finding that it is related to his service-connected tinnitus.

The claim for service connection for a low back disability is dismissed.,The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied.

The Board denied the claim for TDIU, finding that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate rationale in the VA examination report. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions based on noise exposure during his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was denied as there were no findings supporting more severe symptoms.,Service connection for tinnitus was denied because it was not shown to be related to service, and there is no evidence of continuous symptomatology since service.,Service connection for prostatitis was denied due to lack of in-service diagnosis or treatment, and the absence of continuity of symptomatology after service.,Service connection for residuals of a head injury was denied as there was no current diagnosis of TBI or its residuals.,Service connection for hypertension was denied because it was not shown to be related to service, and there is no evidence of continuous symptomatology since service.,Service connection for myopia was denied due to lack of in-service diagnosis or treatment, and the absence of continuity of symptomatology after service.,Service connection for OSA was denied as there is no evidence of its onset during service or a current diagnosis related to service.,Service connection for HIV was denied because it was not shown to be related to service, and there is no evidence of continuous symptomatology since service.,Service connection for gout was denied due to lack of in-service diagnosis or treatment, and the absence of continuity of symptomatology after service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disability, left index finger disability, and tinnitus due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's bilateral hip disorder and left shoulder disorder are dismissed as the appellant withdrew his claim. The Veteran's left shoulder disorder is granted service connection as secondary to a service-connected bilateral knee disability. The issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded.

The Board has found that the VA medical opinions are inadequate for adjudicative purposes and remanded the cases for further development.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability for the period prior to June 29, 2016 due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral defective hearing loss, headaches associated with TBI, tinnitus, scar of right thigh, and TBI, preclude substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience. The Board has determined that the criteria for a total disability rating on the basis of individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities have been met.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, COPD, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The claims are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a bilateral eye or vision disability have been denied as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease that could be linked to these conditions.