Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2023

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an eye disability and hemorrhoids have been denied. The Veteran was granted service connection for tinnitus.,Service connection has not been established for the Veteran's claimed eye, hemorrhoid, or back disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss, finding no current disability in either case. The claim for tinnitus was granted as a chronic disease present during service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's tinnitus is also granted as a separate issue. Both conditions are found to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU was dismissed as moot because he has been in receipt of a total (100 percent) disability rating since February 26, 2016.

The Veteran's claim for tinnitus was denied in the April 2010 rating decision, and her claim for low back condition was reopened but remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right leg disability, and left foot disability. The appeal for service connection of schizophrenia is granted.

The Veteran's combined rating for her service-connected conditions (migraines, tinnitus, and hemorrhoids) is at least 60%, which meets the schedular requirement for TDIU. However, she was not found to be unemployable due to these disabilities as her education and work experience suggest she could still engage in substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the schedular criteria for TDIU prior to October 21, 2015. The Board found insufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility that he was unemployable solely because of his service-connected disabilities during this period.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss do not prevent him from securing or following any substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal on all issues related to tinnitus, diabetes mellitus, thyroid disability, and renal disability before the Board could make a decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to December 10, 2012, finding that his service-connected conditions did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as a result of the PACT Act, effective August 10, 2022.,Right ear hearing loss and diabetes mellitus, type II are denied. The claim for bladder cancer was dismissed due to the PACT Act grant.,Left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities from March 19, 2020. The evidence shows that he was unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation because of his headaches, diabetes, and other disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The reduction in the rating assigned for hypothyroidism, degenerative arthritis of the right shoulder with rotator cuff tear, and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine were granted. TDIU based on service-connected disabilities other than hypothyroidism was granted effective from February 23, 2015 to September 19, 2019, and special monthly compensation based on housebound status was granted effective February 23, 2015.

All service connection claims for various conditions are dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, gunshot wound to the right chest wall, hyperesthesia of the eighth cranial nerve, and tinnitus, rendered him unemployable. The Board granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

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

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and clarification of the Veteran's periods of Active Duty for Training (ACDUTRA) and Inactive Duty for Training (INACDUTRA). The claims for service connection for vertigo, tinnitus, and hypertension are also being remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as there are outstanding service treatment records that need to be obtained. The VA will attempt to obtain these records from the appellant's National Guard unit, and an addendum opinion will be requested to determine the etiology of the disabilities.