Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee osteoarthritis, right knee arthritis, respiratory condition (shortness of breath), bilateral hearing loss, and recurrent tinnitus.,Service connection is also granted for the Veteran's right knee disability as secondary to his left knee disability.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including headaches, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus, prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment from December 5, 2016 to April 30, 2017. The Board granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis for this period.

The Board has remanded the cases of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus for further development, including obtaining an addendum medical opinion to address whether these conditions are related to service.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disability, right shoulder and elbow disabilities (both secondary to the service-connected left shoulder disability), cervical spine disability, OSA, and tinnitus. The Veteran's current conditions are not considered service connected.,Service connection was denied for all issues except for tinnitus, which was granted.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, hypertension, and type II diabetes mellitus as there was no evidence of these conditions during active service or within one year post-service. The Veteran's symptoms were not continuous or recurrent in service.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus for further development due to lack of audiometric data from VA examinations, failure to appear, and need for authorization and request of records.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), type II diabetes mellitus, and lumbar spine condition. The Veteran's claims for diabetic retinopathy, erectile dysfunction (ED), and hypertension are being remanded due to the lack of a rationale in the existing medical opinions.,The Board has not assigned a disability rating or effective date as these issues have been remanded.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected, and the hearing loss disability issue is remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current tinnitus, which he reported experiencing in service and continuing to this day, had its onset during his active duty. Therefore, service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain or maintain a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted his claim for TDIU benefits.

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate on and after August 24, 2021. SMC based on a need for aid and attendance of another person is denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected.,A left ankle disability is remanded for further examination.

The Board has determined that additional information is needed to decide the claims for service connection for hypertension, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, lumbar spine disorder, and tinnitus. The Veteran's statements regarding in-service symptoms are considered, as well as VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as they are related to his conceded in-service hazardous noise exposure. Additional medical records need to be obtained from VA and private providers.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations. The issues of entitlement to service connection for a right knee disability, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and right foot/ankle disabilities are pending.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for various disabilities due to outstanding records and the need for VA examinations. The Veteran's appeal is now pending again.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertension have been reopened.,However, the claims are still pending as they need further examination to determine if service connection can be established.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted, as his service-connected disabilities make him unemployable.,Claims for earlier effective dates for left lower extremity radiculopathy and hypertension are denied.