Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2024

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are related to his military service.

The Board has denied service connection for tinnitus due to the lack of evidence linking it to service. The decision also remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, as there is insufficient medical opinion regarding its etiology.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his military service and continues since then.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a special home adaptation grant due to lack of blindness in both eyes, burns or inhalation injuries.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that there was no causal relationship between his in-service noise exposure and his current tinnitus. The Board also noted that tinnitus did not manifest within one year of service discharge.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability.,The Veteran's claim for tinnitus is denied because the evidence does not establish that it was caused by service exposure to noise, and there is no continuity of symptoms since service.,The Veteran's claim for left ankle sprain is denied due to lack of a causal link between the in-service injury and current condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in the VA examination and duty to assist. The Veteran's tinnitus claim will be reconsidered with a more detailed medical opinion.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied service connection for hypertension and prostate cancer. Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service noise exposure. Hypertension is not shown to be related to service or a year after separation. Prostate cancer is not currently diagnosed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance or housebound status due to his employment as a courthouse bailiff, which is inconsistent with needing regular aid and attendance.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for tinnitus, TDIU, and an earlier effective date due to a withdrawal of the appeal by the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment as of November 27, 2020. An effective date of November 27, 2020 is granted for the assignment of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has decided that the Veteran's tinnitus is service connected, but has remanded the issue of his bilateral hearing loss due to potential duty-to-assist errors.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's timely substantive appeal was received in response to the February 2020 Statement of the Case, and thus the appeal is granted.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of August 3, 2015 for the grant of service connection for tinnitus is granted. The Veteran's claim for a higher initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted, with the condition that they are subject to the laws and regulations governing monetary awards.

The Veteran's service connection for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is granted. The Board also remanded several secondary service connection claims as they are inextricably intertwined with the grant of service connection for NPC.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected due to in-service exposure to hazardous noise, with no other basis for connection.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus, finding that there is no showing of any incidents of hearing loss or tinnitus while in service and no showing of a continuity of symptomatology after service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraines, including as secondary to service-connected bilateral eye disabilities and tinnitus, is remanded due to a duty to assist error. New VA medical opinions are required.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for tinnitus due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran's current diagnosis of tinnitus is questioned, and further examination is needed to determine if it had its onset during service or is related to service.