Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2022

The Veteran's application to reopen a claim for service connection of tinnitus was granted, and the claim is now considered substantiated.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including sleep problems, and dental disorders are remanded for further examination and analysis.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss but has remanded the issue of service connection for tinnitus due to conflicting evidence regarding its etiology.

The Veteran's claims for hypertension and an acquired psychiatric disorder have been reopened, with the latter being recharacterized as a claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability to include anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Service connection has been granted for tinnitus.,Service connection is remanded for various conditions including hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety, depression, PTSD), sleep apnea, prostate disability due to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, a skin condition of the stomach, head disability (headaches), coronary artery disease, strokes, enlarged kidney due to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, both hands locking up, gout of the right and left foot, knot under the right cheek, sea sickness, and sleep disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including major depressive disorder and various scars, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to July 16, 2014.

The Veteran's appeals for a higher evaluation for his right ear hearing loss disability, an evaluation in excess of 70 percent for PTSD beginning August 13, 2015, and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability have all been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support granting any of these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's tinnitus is presumed to have started during his active service, while the evidence does not support a link between his current bilateral hearing loss and in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a back disability, and a left arm disability, as well as an increased rating for PTSD.

The Board denied requests for earlier effective dates for service connection of tinnitus and right ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran did not file an informal claim raising these issues prior to June 24, 2014.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a psychiatric disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to an August 2022 Joint Motion for Remand (JMR) which found that the Board erred in denying entitlement to an effective date prior to April 19, 2017, for the grant of service connection for tinnitus. The Veteran's informal claim was raised based on his complaints of bilateral tinnitus.

The Veteran's right-sided nephroureterectomy due to T1 high grade TCC of the kidney and T2 TCC of the distal ureter is granted as related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied.

The Veteran's tinnitus and chloracne claims are remanded due to the need for additional development of service treatment records and medical opinions.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder with generalized anxiety is rated at 70 percent prior to July 29, 2020. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as secondary to hearing loss.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral tinnitus, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, a heart condition, depression, and diabetes mellitus type II. The evidence did not establish that these conditions were related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding his claimed disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, skin irritability, memory loss, migraines with aura (chronic headaches), blurred vision, back disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder. The examination will assess whether these conditions are related to service or exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has found that the VA opinions of record did not adequately address whether the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, despite there being no complaints or diagnoses during service. The case is therefore remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent and does not have any additional symptoms or manifestations that would warrant a higher rating.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims, including for sleep apnea, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including memory loss and MDD), bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, degenerative arthritis of the spine, right leg arthritis, and left leg arthritis. The Veteran's STRs do not contain any complaints or treatments related to these conditions.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied, but he receives a TDIU and special monthly compensation at the housebound rate. Basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35 is also granted.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the Veteran did not file a timely Notice of Disagreement and instead filed new claims, which were addressed by the AOJ. The AMA became effective in February 2019, but the July 2018 rating decision was issued before this change.