Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been reopened. The claim for a higher rating for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine is denied, but the claim for right lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve) and left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve) has been granted with ratings in excess of 20 percent beginning March 6, 2018. The claims for higher ratings for right lower extremity radiculopathy (femoral nerve) and left lower extremity radiculopathy (femoral nerve) are denied.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, finding that the evidence did not support a nexus between current tinnitus and in-service noise exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not caused by his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment, including from January 27, 2022. The Board granted a TDIU based on the combined schedular rating of 80% for his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as secondary to his service-connected hypertension. The appeal is being returned to the VA Regional Office for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient explanation in the November 2021 decision regarding the Veteran's lay reports of functional impairment and the contribution of non-service-connected disabilities. The Veteran is seeking SMC based on loss of use of feet, but the Board found no such loss.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military noise exposure. The claims were previously denied due to a lack of evidence showing a permanent shift in hearing thresholds during service.

The Board has found that the duty to assist prior to the appealed rating decision necessitates remand due to a pre-decisional failure of the duty to assist. The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right knee condition, and left knee condition are all remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for cause of death and entitlement to DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 due to a duty-to-assist error in obtaining an adequate medical opinion prior to the August 2019 rating decision on appeal.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was granted. The claim for recurrent foot disability to include bilateral pes planus and bilateral hearing loss was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran requires regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, leading to a grant of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and leukemia were not service-connected as they did not meet the criteria for presumptive conditions or direct service connection.,Service records do not show any evidence of these conditions during active duty. The Appellant's claims are based on assertions that the Veteran experienced symptoms in later years.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted with an effective date of February 18, 2009.

The Veteran's appeals for heart block, peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and tinnitus have been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran is not entitled to SMC at a rate intermediate between SMC(l) and SMC(m) (SMC(p)) because he does not have an additional disability rated as 50 or 100 percent disabling.,The Veteran's claim for higher level of SMC, claimed as entitlement to SMC(t), is denied due to the lack of evidence showing that he requires a 'higher level of care' than what is required for regular aid and attendance.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus was denied as the evidence did not show such an exceptional disability picture that the available schedular evaluation is inadequate.

The Veteran's OSA is granted as secondary to his service-connected depressive disorder and tinnitus.,The Veteran's HPV-associated squamous cell carcinoma is denied due to lack of in-service diagnosis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or symptoms. Therefore, service connection for these conditions cannot be granted.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and other service-connected conditions render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.,The Veteran is currently rated at 30 percent for his combined service-connected disabilities, which includes bilateral hearing loss (20%), tinnitus (10%), osteoarthritis of the left knee (10%), degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with limited extension of right knee (10%), limited extension of left and right knees (10% each), and osteoarthritis of the left and right ankles (10%).

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The Board finds the Veteran credible regarding his claim that he experiences symptoms of tinnitus since active service, and resolves reasonable doubt in his favor. For bilateral hearing loss, a new addendum opinion is needed to determine if it had its onset during or was aggravated by his period of ACDUTRA from June 1963 to December 1963.