Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2023

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU rating as they do not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board found that the withholding of VA disability compensation for 54 training days in FY 2016 was proper, as the Veteran received concurrent pay and thus did not receive additional benefits. The appeal is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate compliance with prior remand directives.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but the issues of service connection for right ankle disability and partial thyroidectomy/hypothyroidism are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.,Service connection is sought for a right ankle disability and hypothyroidism. The Veteran's in-service injury and symptoms have not been adequately addressed by the VA examiners.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including migraine headaches and right foot conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since August 23, 2018. The Board has granted TDIU on an extraschedular basis effective that date.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and right ankle sprain as they were already denied in a previous May 2023 decision.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and in-service noise exposure.

Service connection for hypertension is granted, presumed due to exposure to herbicide agents during service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is denied as the evidence does not meet VA's definition of 'hearing impairment' for compensation purposes.,Service connection for brain lesion is denied as there is no reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim with the requisite degree of probability that it was caused by presumptive exposure to Agent Orange or otherwise related to service.,A rating of 100 percent (total disability due to individual unemployability) for PTSD is granted, based on total social and occupational impairment.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is denied. The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for a psychiatric disability to include a not otherwise specified depressive disorder, an anxiety disorder, a bipolar disorder, and ADHD.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted effective May 8, 2014, one year prior to the date of receipt of his application. The Board finds no evidence supporting earlier claims.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left knee disability, and low back disability have been granted. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disability is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability, post-traumatic tissue mass of the right midfoot, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, acne rosacea, and tension headaches. Service connection was denied for a right knee disability, arrhythmia, prostatic hypertrophy, and a disability manifested as tingling and numbness in hands, fingers, toes, and forehead.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has dismissed the appeal as the appellant withdrew it prior to a decision being made.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient development and procedural errors, including failure to obtain service department records and private treatment records from Dr. H.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection of migraines, cervical spine disability, PTSD, lumbar spine disability, bilateral pes planus and plantar fasciitis, GERD, allergic rhinitis, tinnitus, and pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of available service records, requiring an addendum opinion from a clinician.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate VA medical opinion regarding the adequacy of the January 2022 VA examination report. The examiner did not address whether the October 1968 audiometric findings indicated hearing loss during service, nor did they discuss threshold shifts from entrance to separation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, tinnitus, and lumbar spine disability has been reopened. Service connection is granted for the acquired psychiatric disorder (to include anxiety and depression) and tinnitus. The claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability remains pending.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with the exception of hypertension which is granted on a presumptive basis under the PACT Act. An effective date of October 15, 2017 has been assigned for the TDIU.