Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2022

The Veteran's hearing loss resulted in a 90% rating from December 3, 2015 to April 7, 2020. The Board found no evidence of entitlement to a higher rating during this period and denied the claim.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected. The other claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea, and bilateral flatfeet have been denied as there is no persuasive evidence of a current disability or relationship to service.,The Veteran's claim for tinnitus has been remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding its etiology. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder has also been remanded for further examination and analysis.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and hypertension, finding that the evidence is at least in approximate balance as to whether these conditions had their onset during active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the percentage requirements for a schedular TDIU. The Board referred the case to the Director of Compensation Service for extra-schedular consideration due to his unemployability.

Your service-connected conditions provide a greater benefit than the nonservice-connected pension benefits you requested. Therefore, your claim for nonservice-connected pension benefits is dismissed.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 0 percent, which is not compensable.,The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable.

The appeals concerning increased ratings for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus have been dismissed.,The appeal concerning service connection for right ear hearing loss has also been dismissed.

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

New and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for degenerative disc disease with disc bulge claimed as low back pain and spine curve. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric condition, including Other Specified Trauma and Stress Related Disorder and Adjustment Disorder, is now granted.,Service connection for PTSD and Crohn's Disease, to include colitis, remains denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals to reopen the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's skin disorder, including scars from sebaceous cyst removal during service. The decision on tinnitus and sebaceous cysts remains denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been granted. The issues of entitlement to a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss and service connection for left ear hearing loss have been withdrawn.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, hypertension, and pulmonary heart disease. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions began during his active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.,The Board also remanded several issues including entitlement to initial ratings for tinnitus and hearing loss, as well as the reopening of claims for PTSD, right knee disability (now status post total replacement), and left knee disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to unresolved issues regarding the character of discharge and new evidence. The low back disability claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment prior to February 13, 2018.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU as his service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's osteosarcoma, right shoulder disability, and right hip disability are not service-connected as they did not begin in or are otherwise related to his active service.,The Veteran's left eye glaucoma is not service-connected as it did not begin in or be otherwise related to his active service. His bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown as chronic in service, did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period, and are not otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating of 100 percent for PTSD is granted, effective April 21, 2019. The appeal for an earlier effective date for tinnitus is dismissed.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, residuals of a head injury (TBI), migraine headaches, and major depressive disorder. The conditions are found to have had their onset in service or are proximately due to the service-connected disabilities.