Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2023

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including schizophrenia, pseudomotor cerebri with residual seizure disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus, rendered him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent her from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and therefore the claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right knee disorder, migraine headaches (secondary to hearing loss and tinnitus), and unspecified depressive disorder. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to military service.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, effective November 3, 2015.,A higher rating for PTSD is denied.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to new evidence received after a previous decision. The Veteran's active service included time aboard an aircraft carrier where he served as a plane captain, exposed to noise from aircraft. Further examination is needed to determine if his current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to this exposure.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates were denied as there was no communication prior to the specified dates that reasonably could be interpreted as an informal or formal claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and pseudofolliculitis barbae are remanded due to missing VA treatment records and the need for a VA examination. The effective date for the grant of service connection for tinnitus is denied as it was not filed within one year of separation from service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the issue of service connection for COPD due to insufficient evidence.

Service connection for tinnitus is granted. The requests to reopen prior final denials of service connection for hepatitis C and a nervous condition (anxiety reaction) are also granted. However, the issues related to left shoulder disability, left hand condition, and hepatitis C require further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety; a left wrist condition; tinnitus; and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to insufficient evidence. The claims will be reviewed again with additional medical examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for liver cancer, as well as claims related to his death and various disabilities, were denied. The rating for diabetes mellitus was granted at a 40 percent level, but higher ratings are not warranted. Ratings for other conditions such as neurological impairments, tinnitus, hypertension, and bilateral hearing loss were also denied.

The Veteran's peripheral vestibular disorder has been granted initial and increased ratings from May 24, 2011, to April 22, 2014, and from April 23, 2014, forward. The remaining issues of hearing loss disability and tinnitus are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied as there is no persuasive evidence linking these conditions to service.,The Veteran's gastrointestinal disorder (GERD) is denied due to lack of evidence showing its onset during service or being related to service.,Acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, are not granted as the evidence does not support a link between current symptoms and service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for his service-connected loss of teeth due to trauma is denied.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are both granted.,The Board found that the Veteran had an in-service injury related to acoustic noise exposure, which resulted in current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability, which has been rated at 100 percent since January 3, 2023, is the highest possible rating under VA regulations. The decision grants a 100 percent rating for his disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (unspecified depressive disorder, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, right wrist condition, hearing loss, and tinnitus) rendered him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a TDIU award. For his sleep apnea claim, the Board has determined that a remand for further examination and opinion is necessary.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of adequate medical opinion.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for tinnitus, headaches, PTSD, excessive alcohol use, and muscle twitching due to additional evidence being added to the file.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection of various conditions, including hypertension, degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, right upper extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity radiculopathy, TBI, and tinnitus. The effective date for hypertension was set at April 12, 2017.