Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as his claim for a TDIU prior to March 30, 2022. Additional development is required including obtaining VA treatment records and clarifying whether speech discrimination testing used the Maryland CNC word list.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his active duty service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service. The decision is based on credible lay evidence of in-service noise exposure and post-service symptoms.

The Veteran's tinnitus was not related to service and the Board denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right foot plantar fasciitis, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus have been granted.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for right median motor neuropathy has also been granted.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current tinnitus is at least as likely as not related to his military noise exposure during service.

The Board has determined that the VA opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is inadequate and requires further clarification. The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded to obtain a new medical opinion.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable at any point during the period on appeal.

The Board has reopened the previously denied claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but has denied both claims as there is no evidence to support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, bilateral shoulder disabilities, a right knee disability (including below the knee amputation), and right lower extremity radiculopathy. The specific nature and etiology of these conditions will need to be addressed through further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's increased rating for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo with Meniere's Disease is granted, subject to the laws and regulations controlling the award of monetary benefits. The issues of increased ratings for Bilateral Hearing Loss and Tinnitus are dismissed as moot due to their subsumption in the Meniere's Disease rating.

The Board dismissed the appeals for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus as they are not eligible to be decided due to the appellant's death.

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 related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, so his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) was denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete VA and private medical records, and will discuss continuity of symptomatology evidence on remand.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of the Veteran's bilateral knee disorder, left shoulder disorder, and tinnitus for further development. The issues remain on appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for tinnitus and lumbosacral strain (previously rated as low back pain) because there was no clear evidence of nonreceipt, and thus the presumption of regularity applied. The effective date remains November 13, 2017.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to issue an SOC in the modernized system, and the appellant must file a timely appeal within the legacy system.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions began during active service.

The Veteran's claims for tinnitus, headaches, left side issues, hypertension, and an acquired psychiatric disorder with sleep issues have been denied. The effective dates for the grants of service connection are not established as there is no indication he filed a claim prior to June 6, 2017.