Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2023

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not been shown to preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment. Therefore, the claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions, including back pain, inguinal hernias, anorexia, hiatal hernia, stomach issues, irregular heartbeat, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The claims are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted. The case is remanded for further development regarding the rating of bipolar disorder with personality disorder, TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, and obtaining employment information.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied as he is currently working full-time and participating in training, with no evidence of his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran meets the schedular requirement for TDIU due to his service-connected cervical spine degenerative arthritis, thoracic spine fractures and degenerative arthritis, bilateral knee retropatellar syndrome, and tinnitus that render him unable to follow a substantially gainful occupation from November 16, 2013 to March 15, 2015.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for vertigo and loss of equilibrium, increased rating for tinnitus, and earlier effective date for an increased rating of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss due to incomplete evaluations and potential CUE in previous decisions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected, with the hearing loss being related to combat exposure in Vietnam and the tinnitus being secondary to his hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic left ankle instability, ankle arthritis, and chronically torn ligaments, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The decision is based on the Veteran's credible testimony regarding his in-service injuries and continuous symptoms since separation from service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and low back disorder have been denied. The claim for skin cancer is remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate VA medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's tinnitus and hearing loss, as well as her service-connected migraine headaches. The case will be returned for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The hearing loss case is remanded for further examination and opinion.

The application to reopen a claim for service connection for residuals of a head injury with seizures (also claimed as TBI) is denied.,Secondary service connection for tinnitus is granted, but secondary service connection for headaches is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to potential inextricably intertwined issues, including a lack of noise exposure assessment. The Veteran's VA treatment records from 1978 onwards must be obtained.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable prior to May 21, 2012. The Board found that the evidence did not support his claim for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability meeting VA criteria.,Service connection for tinnitus was also denied due to lack of in-service noise exposure, the absence of a current diagnosis, and conflicting medical opinions.

The Veteran is granted an effective date of February 9, 2012 for the assignment of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for various conditions and exposure to herbicide agents. The main focus is on obtaining additional information regarding the Veteran's respiratory condition and confirming his exposure to herbicide agents at Fort McClellan.

The Board has determined that there are outstanding private treatment records and the Veteran's request for a hearing. Additionally, the claims of service connection for bilateral tinnitus, bilateral hip pain, and bilateral knee conditions require additional medical opinions due to conflicting or insufficient evidence in the record. The claim for an increased rating for PTSD also requires further examination.