Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2022

The Veteran's service-connected conditions did not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to February 20, 2018. The Board denied a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is denied as there is insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between his current condition and his period of service. The claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted due to in equipoise evidence supporting its relationship with service.

Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as these conditions are presumed to have been incurred in service.,Service connection is also granted for tinnitus as it is proximately due to a service-connected disability (bilateral hearing loss).,Service connection is denied for COPD, as there is no evidence of its onset within one year after the last date of herbicide exposure and no other basis for presumptive service connection.,Service connection is denied for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to lack of evidence showing it became manifest to a degree of 10 percent or more within a year after the last date of herbicide exposure.

The appeals seeking service connection for ischemic heart disease, kidney condition, and tinnitus have been dismissed. The claim for service connection for hypertension as due to herbicide agent exposure has been granted. Service connection is also granted for PTSD and major depressive disorder.

The Board found no error in the calculation of the combined total rating of 70 percent for service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and tinnitus. The claim for a higher combined rating is denied.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability, left upper extremity neuropathy, right upper extremity neuropathy, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, groin rash, and sleep apnea were not shown to be related to service.,Service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active duty service, specifically his exposure to hazardous noise during basic training. The case is being remanded for further development of records and an addendum opinion.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, bronchitis, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and tinnitus, combine to render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence to support a relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to June 23, 2015.

The Veteran was granted service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus due to herbicide agent exposure under the PACT Act of 2022.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations have been remanded due to the need for additional evidence. The issues include tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied in January 2014, and the effective date of the grant of service connection was assigned as February 25, 2020.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to service, and the Board has granted his claim for service connection.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for PTSD, hearing loss, and tinnitus, as well as service connection for COPD and a low back disability. The appellant withdrew his appeals prior to the decision being made.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current tinnitus disability and therefore cannot establish service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that his current condition began during active duty and resolving reasonable doubt in his favor.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50 percent, and he did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. He also did not qualify for TDIU prior to May 26, 2022, but his condition improved such that he now qualifies for TDIU from that date onwards.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, granting his claims for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for TDIU and DEA benefits, finding that there was not sufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility of unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to September 10, 2013.