Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2022

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is an approximate balance of evidence in favor of a nexus between his conceded hazardous noise exposure during service and his current disabilities.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied because his other service-connected disabilities (tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss) do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted an effective date of December 18, 2013 for the grant of service connection for tinnitus. The decision is based on the Veteran's continuous pursuit of his appeal and the finding that entitlement arose prior to the date of claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and therefore the claim for TDIU on an extraschedular basis was denied.

The Veteran's claimed psychiatric conditions, kidney disability, tinnitus, hypertension, diverticulitis, bronchitis, asthma, glaucoma, diabetes mellitus type II (DMII), peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, and Alzheimer's disease are not service-connected.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional evidence and examinations. The issues include back pain, scoliosis, deviated nasal septum, traumatic brain injury, bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, PTSD, and sleep apnea.

The Veteran's right thumb tendon repair is granted a 50 percent rating, effective from the date of remand. The TDIU claim is denied as his service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected tinnitus and remands the case for further examination.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected, with the decision finding that it began in service due to noise exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not precluded him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment since January 1, 2013. However, he was marginally employed from September 9, 2008 to December 31, 2012.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary before the Veteran's claims can be adjudicated due to a lack of medical evidence on file for determining the etiology of his claimed disabilities. The claims are REMANDED for these purposes.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to service, despite conceded combat noise exposure. The Veteran's July 2015 Notice of Disagreement suggests that his hearing loss and tinnitus may be related to in-service explosions.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The right shoulder and left shoulder disabilities, as well as the low back disability, are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted service connection. Erectile dysfunction, urinary and bowel disorders, and diabetic retinopathy are denied. PTSD is granted at a 70% rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected psychiatric disability, and therefore grants TDIU with a rating of 70% for depressive disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, migraines, and physical impairments of the right shoulder, knees, back, and eyes, render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU effective November 2, 2015.

The Veteran's trixaicin cream was not used in conjunction with a service-connected skin disability, thus the clothing allowance claim for 2016 is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for various service connection claims, including tinnitus, hearing loss, DMII, a lumbar sprain, left femur fracture, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities (sciatic and femoral nerves), and peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity femoral nerve. The Board found that the earliest possible effective dates were May 7, 2013, when the Veteran filed his claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied service connection for a heart disorder, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type II, left lower extremity neuropathy, right lower extremity neuropathy, and tinnitus as there was no evidence of in-service incurrence or chronicity.