Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2023

The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection in multiple conditions, including lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right eye macular degeneration, right knee disorder, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss. The earliest effective date assigned was January 14, 2014.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 100% effective July 18, 2019. He also received SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) and TDIU prior to July 18, 2019.

The Board has found that there has not been substantial compliance with its July 2020 remand directives, necessitating another remand for further development of the TDIU claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and active service.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not meet the schedular criteria for TDIU, but his unemployability due to PTSD warrants extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The case for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to incomplete records.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for tinnitus was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. Service connection is granted.,Service connection is also granted for cold weather injuries of the left hand, right foot, and left foot.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, left foot disorder, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since October 26, 2016. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from that date.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and consideration, specifically requesting additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran did not have current diagnoses of these conditions at any relevant time.,The Board also found no evidence of a continuity of symptomatology for either condition beginning during or within presumptive periods after service.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected sinusitis is remanded.,The Veteran's appeal for entitlement to service connection for a neck scar is remanded.,The Veteran's appeal for entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is remanded.,The Veteran's appeal for entitlement to service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder is remanded.,The Veteran's appeal for entitlement to service connection for a skin condition (including cellulitis and/or contact dermatitis) is remanded.,The Veteran's appeal for entitlement to service connection for hearing loss is remanded.,The Veteran's appeal for entitlement to service connection for tinnitus is remanded.,The Veteran's appeal for entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II (diabetes), to include as secondary to service-connected disability, is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.,However, the appeal is REMANDED for further development on several issues including right hip disability, left hip disability, skin disability, acquired psychiatric disability, bruxism, and slurred speech.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, cervical spine disability, thoracic spine disability, low back disability, right hip disability, left hip disability, traumatic brain injury (TBI), headache disability, right upper extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy as the evidence did not support a causal relationship between these conditions and service.,The Board found that there was no credible evidence of an in-service injury or incident related to the claimed disabilities.

Service connection is granted for bilateral pes planus and bilateral tinnitus.,The Veteran's eczema claim remains pending as it has been remanded.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied as his combined disability rating of 60% does not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU. The Board also found no evidence to support referral for extraschedular consideration.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) as there is no evidence that he is incapable of performing the physical and mental acts required by employment.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied as there were no prior unadjudicated claims, and VA laws do not allow for an effective date earlier than the day following separation from service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and to determine if a new examination is needed for the service-connected Peripheral Vestibular Disorder (PVD).

The Veteran's brain cancer and lung cancer are granted service connection, with the latter being implicitly found related to his active military service. The Veteran's tinnitus is also granted as secondary to his service-connected brain cancer.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.,Service connection is granted for hypertension, presumed due to herbicide exposure.