Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2023

The Veteran's need for regular aid and attendance of another person due to his service-connected disabilities is established, leading to the grant of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's exposure to military acoustic trauma during service caused his tinnitus. Service connection was denied for right ear hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the TDIU claim due to insufficient medical evidence of record and a need for a combined-effects medical examination. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities include major depressive disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, gout, lumbar intervertebral disc syndrome, left sciatic nerve impingement, right sciatic nerve impingement, hypertension, tinnitus, left upper lip scar, right thigh scar, left posterior thorax scar, and bilateral tinea pedis. The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded to allow for a proper examination and evaluation of his employment impact.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection and ratings for various disabilities, finding that the claims were not filed before June 14, 2016.,The Veteran's claim for a TDIU was remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow any form of substantially gainful employment prior to January 25, 2021.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded as the current schedular evaluations do not meet his unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The case will be referred for consideration of an extraschedular TDIU.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for hearing loss and tinnitus as there was a failure to comply with the duty to assist by obtaining an adequate medical opinion. The Veteran's service records indicate noise exposure, but the VA examiner did not consider this in their assessment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, including noise exposure. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service onset or continuity of symptoms.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine is granted as secondary to service-connected PTSD.,The Veteran's prostate cancer and associated residuals are granted based on in-service exposure, with the benefit of doubt given.,Service connection for tinnitus is denied due to lack of a causal relationship between the condition and service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current tinnitus is at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied due to a lack of evidence linking the condition to service.

A rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD has been withdrawn.,Service connection for asthma, a respiratory disorder, is granted under the PACT Act. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied.,The Veteran's kidney stones are presumed to have been incurred in service due to the PACT Act.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 10% disability rating for service-connected tinnitus is denied because there was no evidence of increased severity prior to May 1, 2017.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus on a presumptive basis due to continuous symptoms since service separation. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as the evidence does not support direct service connection or a finding of continuity of symptomatology.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been remanded due to the need for additional development, including verification of periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA in the Ohio Army National Guard.

The Board has decided that the claim for service connection for tinnitus should be remanded due to incomplete records from the Appellant's National Guard service in Wisconsin.

The Board has remanded several issues, including service connection for tinnitus and migraines, sleep apnea as secondary to sinusitis, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, erectile dysfunction, and bilateral hearing loss. The effective dates remain pending.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus on an extraschedular basis, finding that the schedular criteria adequately describe the Veteran's disability and there is no evidence of marked interference with employment or frequent periods of hospitalization.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as his combined rating of service-connected disabilities has been at least 100 percent throughout the appeal period, and he was not found to be unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) has been denied. The effective date for the award of a 10 percent rating for tinnitus is also denied.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was not granted due to lack of evidence showing in-service noise exposure or chronicity of symptoms.

The Veteran's death appeal includes claims for service connection and increased rating, which must be remanded due to procedural issues related to substitution.