Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2023

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and thus grants his claim for TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during service and is continuing to this day, granting service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability is denied.,Service connection for GERD, hiatal hernia, and skin condition (eczema) to include chronic fatigue syndrome is remanded due to incomplete or inadequate opinions in the current VA examinations.,The Veteran's chronic fatigue syndrome is also remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depressive disorder, recurrent, is granted a 70 percent initial rating.,A higher schedular evaluation for tinnitus is denied as the disability picture is adequately addressed under the schedular criteria. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also granted.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including hearing loss and tinnitus, GERD, and his right foot and ankle injury. The Veteran will need to provide updated VA treatment records, undergo medical examinations for his hearing loss and tinnitus, GERD, and right foot and ankle injury, and complete a TDIU application form.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records and a comprehensive examination of his service-connected disabilities' impact on employment. The issue of TDIU will be reconsidered based on all available evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran should be afforded new VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, major depressive disorder, right knee disorders, and left knee disorders due to insufficient opinions in the previous examination reports. The claims are being remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's claims for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, respiratory disability, prostate disability, left arm disability (hand carpal tunnel), right arm disability (hand carpal tunnel), left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, low back disability, left leg disability, right leg disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, left ankle disability, and right ankle disability were denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability or a relationship to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions and requests for additional evidence. The Veteran's death is being reviewed, along with his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection, but his bilateral hearing loss is denied as it did not worsen during service.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD with unspecified schizophrenia and other psychotic disorder. The appeal for service connection for diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol, a liver disorder, tinnitus, hypertension, septal infarct, a left foot disability, and a right foot disability has been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Veteran's appeals have been dismissed as the appellant has withdrawn his appeal in its entirety.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his exposure to acoustic trauma during active service. The decision resolves all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is at least as likely as not due to noise exposure during service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as there is no competent and reliable diagnosis of these disabilities.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and pes planus. The VA medical opinion will be required to determine if there is a relationship between the conditions and military service, including noise exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including unspecified depressive disorder, urethral stricture with enuresis and incontinence, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation. The Board granted the TDIU based on his functional impairment due to these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is granted. The Board finds the evidence does not support a finding of current disability for bilateral hearing loss, but grants service connection for tinnitus as related to active duty service. Service connection for flat foot pes planus (claimed as plantar fasciitis) is remanded due to inadequate examination.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of tinnitus was denied. The appeal for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was also denied.