Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2023

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

The Board has decided to remand multiple issues related to the Veteran's sleep apnea and tinnitus, including service connection claims. The AOJ will obtain all relevant VA treatment records and seek medical opinions on the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further evaluations and determinations regarding his service-connected conditions, including PTSD, tinnitus, migraine headaches, left hip disabilities, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed in order to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and an increased rating for his right thumb disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, finding insufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility that he is unemployable.

The Veteran's service-connected back disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus disabilities have precluded him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to November 5, 2020.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as there is no current diagnosis of a disability that meets the criteria for a hearing loss disability in accordance with VA standards.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has also been denied, as his tinnitus already receives the maximum schedular rating available under VA regulations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was granted, but the appeal of all other issues is dismissed as moot due to the grant of tinnitus.,The claims for service connection for a gynecological disability and anemia were reopened based on new evidence. The heart disability, left knee disability, respiratory disability, PTSD, and anemia are still pending.

The Board has granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis prior to January 28, 2011, due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been denied as there is no evidence of a formal or informal claim prior to July 25, 2017.,The Veteran's initial compensable rating claim for bilateral hearing loss has also been remanded due to the need for additional examination and evaluation.

The Veteran's tinnitus has been granted service connection. The Board found the Veteran's lay statements credible and established that his tinnitus began during his military service. For the remaining issues, the Board remanded for further development including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board has denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for tinnitus, and has remanded the issues of service connection for left knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, and increased evaluation for cataract with extraction, and IOL OS with glaucoma, macular pigment alteration and vitreous hemorrhage.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to exposure to acoustic trauma during his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are considered to be so severe that they prevent him from obtaining or maintaining a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been remanded due to procedural errors in the appeal process.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to missing service medical records and difficulty in notifying the Veteran of examination dates.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding service connection for lumbar spine, left knee, right knee, and rhinitis conditions. The appeal of whether new and material evidence was presented to reopen a claim for diabetes mellitus, Type II is dismissed. The appeal of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim for sinus condition is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for total disability due to individual unemployability (TDIU) based on his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities and tinnitus, finding that he is not unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient medical opinion regarding service connection.