Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2022

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The remaining issues of service connection for various musculoskeletal conditions and a respiratory condition due to burn pit exposure are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated as 70 percent disabling. The Board denied a higher rating, concluding that the symptoms did not cause total occupational and social impairment required for a disability rating of 100 percent. The TDIU claim was also denied due to the Veteran's ability to engage in various productive activities despite his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining missing service treatment records and private medical records.

The Board has remanded the cases of hearing loss and tinnitus for further development due to issues with the adequacy of previous medical opinions.

The Board has dismissed the claim of entitlement to service connection for a disorder manifested by an irregular heartbeat due to the Veteran's withdrawal. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD are remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, tinnitus, and bilateral calcaneal varus and plantar fasciitis. The issues of service connection for headaches and bilateral hearing loss have been remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, as well as service connection for erectile dysfunction secondary to PTSD, is remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding posttraumatic stress disorder, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to obtain or maintain a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education, training, and experience.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from November 18, 2014 to October 31, 2016. Effective from this date, the Veteran was awarded a TDIU and DEA benefits.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus need to be remanded due to insufficient evidence in their current state.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's credible report of an in-service onset and continuity of symptomatology is sufficient to establish service connection. Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of a causal relationship between current hearing loss and service.

The Veteran's appeal of a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to September 1, 2020, and in excess of 30 percent from November 1, 2021 for a right knee condition has been dismissed. The issues of service connection for tinnitus and a left knee condition have been remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted due to the establishment of a causal relationship between his current conditions and military noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and right knee disability due to insufficient evidence regarding the nature of his service-connected conditions and exposure. The Veteran is required to provide an addendum VA opinion addressing qualifying and contradictory aspects of a 2006 IOM report on noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as updated VA treatment records for his right knee.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis is due to noise exposure during military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for back disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to inadequate opinions in the VA examinations. The Veteran is required to provide releases for private treatment records related to his back condition, and a supplemental opinion must be obtained from an appropriate VA examiner regarding the etiology of his back disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including left knee disability, bilateral pes planus, and tinnitus, are preventing him from working in his usual occupation. The Board is remanding the case to consider whether TDIU should be granted on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease and type II diabetes mellitus, prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted TDIU based on these conditions.

The Veteran's appeals regarding various conditions and ratings have been withdrawn by the Veteran's representative.,No new evidence has been received to reopen a claim for bilateral hearing loss.