Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2022

The Board has determined that the matter is not ripe for appellate review due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error and has remanded the case for further action.

The Board has found that the Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are related to in-service acoustic trauma. However, due to inadequate opinions regarding these conditions, the case is being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to in-service hazardous noise exposure.

The VA denied the Veteran's appeal as they determined that withholding of VA disability compensation benefits to recoup special separation benefits was proper.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities result in the loss of use of both lower extremities, requiring him to rely on assistive devices for mobility. The Board has granted financial assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing due to his permanent and total service-connected disability.

The appeal is dismissed as the September 2022 Statement of the Case renders moot the issue regarding the timeliness of VA Form 21-0958, Notice of Disagreement received on July 18, 2019 challenging a July 18, 2018 decision which denied reopening previously-denied claims for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error in the August 2020 VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected cold weather injuries of the bilateral feet are not considered to have contributed to his death from unspecified atrial fibrillation. The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an addendum opinion addressing this issue.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for tinnitus service connection and a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the Veteran is entitled to an effective date of December 9, 2015, for his tinnitus claim and a 50% disability rating from February 12, 2019, for his bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded several issues including service connection for various disabilities and increased ratings, as well as an earlier effective date claim. The Veteran's claims are now pending with the RO.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for undiagnosed Gulf War Illness manifested by a muscle condition, joint condition due to Gulf War (claimed as joints and muscle condition due to gulf war), skin cancer, bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and acquired psychiatric disorder to include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been dismissed.

The Board has denied service connection for spine disability and bilateral knee disability, but granted service connection for tinnitus. The case is REMANDED for further action on the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's diagnosed bilateral hearing loss is etiologically related to his active service. The decision does not address any rating or effective date.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease, PTSD, tinnitus, and hearing loss, have prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation since August 7, 2010.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for headache disability, right ankle sprain and residuals of fibula fracture, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and major depressive disorder have been granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were reopened due to the submission of new evidence. The claim for tinnitus was granted, but the claim for bilateral hearing loss is still pending as it has been remanded.,The Board found that the Veteran had current diagnoses of tinnitus and credible reports of in-service acoustic trauma. However, the August 2013 examiner's opinion regarding the etiology of his bilateral hearing loss was deemed inadequate.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, headaches, and tinnitus due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to active service.,The claim for an initial rating greater than 10 percent for traumatic brain injury (TBI) was also denied as a matter of law because the Veteran failed to report for VA examinations scheduled in October 2021 and May 2022.

The Board denied service connection for AML and the cause of death due to service-connected conditions. The evidence did not support a finding that any service-connected condition caused or contributed substantially to the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. Bilateral hearing loss, sleep deprivation, skin rash, and depression are all remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding their relationship to the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus.