Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2022

The Veteran's right ear perforated ear drum, hearing loss, pain, and worsening tinnitus are being remanded for a medical opinion to determine if the VA procedure was careless or negligent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, hemorrhoids, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a total disability rating for compensation purposes (TDIU).

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding it as likely as not related to the Veteran's exposure to loud noise during his military service in Vietnam.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected diabetic neuropathy and hearing loss/tinnitus. The issues have been remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ankle, right shoulder, and right knee disabilities. The case is remanded for further development regarding these issues.

The Board has granted a TDIU rating from October 23, 2013 due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities making it impossible for him to maintain any form of substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that there was a procedural error in recognizing the Veteran's VA Form 10182 and placing his appeal on the AMA Hearing Docket. The Veteran's appeal should be re-docketed under the Legacy system, with his March 2019 VA Form 10182 accepted as a timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD).

The Board has determined that the September 2014 rating decision is not final due to new evidence received within one year of the decision. The claim for service connection for tinnitus remains pending and requires further development, including obtaining SSA records and VA treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal for a TDIU prior to October 1, 2021 was denied as the evidence did not show he was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due solely to his service-connected disabilities from October 12, 2020, to October 1, 2021.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the issues of sleep apnea, right shoulder disability, PTSD, lumbar strain, bilateral hearing loss, and GERD.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence supports a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military noise exposure.

The Board has dismissed all the appeals regarding service connection and rating for various conditions, including tinnitus, neck disability, knee and hip disabilities, ankle disability, depressive disorder with panic disorder, and back disability. The decision is due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the claims for left foot fungus, right foot fungus, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), penis fungus, groin fungus, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, and ischemic heart disease (IHD) due to improper docketing of the appeal.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new and material evidence having been received. The Veteran's service treatment records are incomplete, and there is a need to reconstruct them. Additionally, the VA must verify the Veteran's reported herbicide exposure in Vietnam and his claimed stressors.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new and material evidence having been received. The issues of service connection for various conditions are now pending.

The Veteran's right shoulder strain, right knee degenerative arthritis, and left knee degenerative arthritis are all found to be attributable to service.,Tinnitus is also found to be attributable to service.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded for additional development, including obtaining records from his former employer Shell Oil.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination, including obtaining additional VA clinical records and a VA audiological evaluation to determine the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and the etiology of any tinnitus. The Veteran is seeking higher ratings for his service-connected disabilities and clarification on when he should have received effective dates.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his service-connected conditions alone do not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied service connection for phimosis of the foreskin and anemia. A compensable rating was also granted for coronary artery disease.