Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2024

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have had its onset during service and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection, but his right ear and left ear hearing loss are denied as they do not meet the criteria for a current disability. Service connection for a dental disability is also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on aid and attendance/housebound due to his service-connected disabilities not meeting the criteria of needing regular aid and assistance or being permanently housebound.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and TDIU are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between his current diagnoses and his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been granted. The claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep impairment disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and various musculoskeletal conditions have been remanded due to the need for additional evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hypertension, tinnitus, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and bilateral hearing loss are being remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The AOJ will obtain a new medical opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's service connection claim for tinnitus is granted, and the claims regarding higher evaluations for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy are remanded.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied prior to March 14, 2017, and dismissed as moot for the period after that date due to his 100% disability rating for IHD.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities limit his employment, while the back disability has been considered in his SSA benefits. The Board finds a reasonable possibility that he is unemployable due to service-connected disabilities but did not refer the TDIU claim for extraschedular consideration.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, a compensable initial disability rating for right ear hearing loss, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have started during service and continued after discharge, warranting service connection.

The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at the maximum allowable under VA regulations, and a separate rating for insomnia disorder has been granted.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's tinnitus may be related to service, but needs further evidence before a decision can be made.

The Board has determined that the submitted evidence does not provide new and relevant information to support readjudication of the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a groin disability, a right ankle disability, and bilateral plantar fasciitis.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable disability rating for left ear hearing loss and a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings based on the current level of service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of an in-service threshold shift as evidence to indicate that the Veteran's current hearing loss is not related to military noise exposure. The issues are inextricably intertwined, so both must be remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was granted with a 10% rating effective April 12, 2021. The Board found that the May 1993 decision implicitly denied the claim and thus an earlier effective date of January 13, 2020 is granted.

The Board has denied service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of tinnitus is not related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no current disability in either ear for VA compensation purposes.,The Veteran's claim for PTSD with opioid use disorder was granted effective July 20, 2021. The Board found that the earlier submitted intent to file a claim within one year of separation from service should not result in an earlier effective date.