Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2022

The Board has found that a remand is needed to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error, specifically regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the VA medical opinions regarding the Veteran's tinnitus are inadequate and requires additional examination to determine if the condition is related to service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted. The decision on the tinnitus claim is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's tinnitus is reasonably shown to have had onset in service and persisted since. The decision also notes that any duty to assist omission or due process error is harmless.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, when considered together, are sufficient to render her unable to obtain and maintain any form of substantially gainful employment in accordance with her occupational background and education level. The Board finds entitlement to a TDIU is warranted.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown to be related to service, as there is no evidence of such conditions during or immediately after service. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus was also not shown to be related to service.,The Veteran has a current diagnosis of tinnitus but the Board finds that his tinnitus did not have its onset in service and is not etiologically related to service.

The claims for service connection for headaches, back disability, carpal tunnel syndrome of the left and right upper extremities, and anxiety disorder/depression have been reopened.,The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have also been reopened.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU was remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the combined effects of his service-connected disabilities on his employability. The Board requested additional development, including a VA examination to assess the impact of all his conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for COPD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine. The claims are based on direct evidence rather than a presumption or secondary to another condition.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there was no evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation, and the Board found that any current conditions are not related to service. The claim for TDIU was granted with an effective date of November 8, 2012.

The Board has found that the April 2016 VA examination was inadequate because it did not address whether the Veteran's tinnitus is related to service. The case is being remanded for an additional VA examination and opinion.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to in-service noise exposure. Service connection was denied for obstructive sleep apnea due to lack of evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his right ankle disability, bilateral knee conditions, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate rationale in the previous VA opinions, lack of consideration of all relevant evidence, and need for a new examination.

VA correctly calculated and paid retroactive compensation benefits to the Veteran for the period from November 2020 through May 2022, but denied additional retroactive payments as no VA compensation benefits were withheld beginning June 1, 2022.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease, PTSD, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and erectile dysfunction, prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type II, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, tinnitus, erectile dysfunction, and left ear hearing loss, prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation. As his combined rating is at least 70 percent due to these conditions, he has been granted total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been dismissed due to the Veteran's death. The appeal is not about a service connection issue, but rather the continuation of an existing claim after the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in equipoise on whether these conditions are related to service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new evidence submitted since the April 2010 decision is not relevant to the issues.