Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2022

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have had onset in service and has persisted since, warranting service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has been denied.,Claims for effective dates earlier than June 27, 2017 for service connection for radiculopathy, left lower extremity, femoral nerve; radiculopathy, right lower extremity femoral nerve; radiculopathy, left lower extremity sciatic nerve; radiculopathy, right lower extremity sciatic nerve; tinnitus; and, hearing loss have been denied.,Service connection for hypertension as due to herbicide exposure has been granted.,The previously denied claim for service connection for a cardiovascular disorder (claimed as ischemic heart disease) has been reopened. Service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) as due to herbicide exposure has also been granted.,A total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities has been granted, subject to the laws and regulations governing the award of monetary benefits.,The claims for service connection for a right knee disability, left knee disability, sleep disability, prostate disability, diverticulitis, erectile dysfunction, cervical spine disability, hearing loss, lumbar spine disability, PTSD, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity (LLE), femoral nerve, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity (RLE), femoral nerve, radiculopathy of the LLE sciatic nerve, and radiculopathy of the RLE sciatic nerve have been remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment since July 29, 2012. TDIU is granted effective that date.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's in-service exposure to acoustic noise caused his current condition. The claims for acquired psychiatric disability and bilateral hearing loss were denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right and left fallen arches and heel pain, right and left plantar fasciitis, bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, and acid reflux due to inadequate opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between the conditions and military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to June 10, 2021. Therefore, the claim for an earlier effective date for a TDIU is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to errors in obtaining and verifying all periods of active duty, including ACDUTRA. The Veteran is not entitled to service connection for his claimed disabilities as they do not appear to be related to any period of ACDUTRA.

The Board has remanded the case for further clarification regarding the effective dates of service connection for COPD and tinnitus, as well as for an increased rating for COPD. The TDIU issue is also being remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus on a presumptive basis due to continuous symptoms since service separation.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as not related to service, while his left eye condition was denied due to lack of continuity of symptomatology.,Service connection for post-polio syndrome with spinal muscular atrophy is remanded due to a duty to assist error regarding the aggravation by pre-existing condition.

The Veteran's TDIU claim from January 24, 2020 is granted. The cluster headaches rating issue is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, right and left knee conditions, patellar tendinitis, and tinnitus, preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment. As a result, the Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for special monthly compensation based on housebound status because he did not meet the criteria at any point prior to September 19, 2018.

The Veteran's Parkinson's disease is granted service connection on a presumptive basis due to herbicide agent exposure in Thailand. Service connection for the lumbar spine disorder and bilateral tinnitus are denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus should be remanded due to inadequate medical opinions. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions, which he contends are related to noise exposure in service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's currently diagnosed tinnitus began in service and continued since service, establishing a causal link between his military service and his current condition.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an earlier effective date for bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus, as no claim was filed before March 23, 2020. An initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss from March 23, 2020 to the present was also denied due to lack of qualifying hearing impairment. The Veteran's tinnitus was rated at the maximum allowable under VA regulations and no higher rating was granted. The TDIU claim was granted with an effective date of November 9, 2017, and DEA eligibility was granted as well.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been denied. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and depression has been remanded.,There is no current diagnosis of a chronic headache disorder. Bilateral hearing loss manifested more than one year after separation from service and is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to service. Tinnitus had its onset during service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the issue of service connection for a cervical spine disability due to insufficient medical opinions.