Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2024

The Board has determined that there are missing service treatment records and personnel records from the Veteran's periods of active service and Army Reserve membership. The effective dates for the awards of service connection for left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and obstructive sleep apnea need to be clarified based on the Veteran's discharge or release status.

The Board has found new and relevant evidence submitted by the Veteran during an applicable evidence submission period warrants readjudication of his claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The claims are being remanded to allow the RO to consider this new evidence in its decision.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's preexisting conditions were aggravated by service. Service connection was denied for tinnitus due to lack of evidence linking it to service.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of January 20, 2020 for the award of service connection for tinnitus. The Veteran's informal claim was received on that date and his application to perfect the claim was submitted within one year.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to incomplete STRs and inadequate VA medical opinion.

The Board has found that the Veteran's tinnitus claim must be remanded due to inadequate medical opinion regarding its relationship to service, specifically noise exposure during service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied due to lack of a medical nexus between his in-service noise exposure and his current tinnitus.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connection for compensation purposes.,Service connection is denied for a sleep disability due to insufficient evidence linking the condition to service.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss disability, obstructive sleep apnea with pleural disease, and fibromyalgia is denied. The VA has remanded the claims of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to June 13, 2019.,The Veteran's tinnitus is already at its maximum schedular rating of 10 percent.

The Veteran's tinnitus was incurred during his military service and the Board has granted entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but the other issues (low back condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, and acquired psychiatric disorder) are remanded due to insufficient evidence.,For the low back condition, the Board finds that there is not enough evidence to establish a link between the condition and service. The examiner will be asked to provide an addendum opinion.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current tinnitus is more likely than not related to her in-service noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to acoustic trauma sustained during active service and grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected, with the Board finding that both conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been submitted for some claims, but not all. The Veteran's claim of service connection for tinnitus is granted, while the claims for rash (entire body), left ankle disability, migraine headaches, back disability, and pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) are remanded due to procedural errors in obtaining medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes and has denied his claim for service connection. The tinnitus issue is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted service connection for tinnitus. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss, but his tinnitus was related to military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased PTSD rating, SMC based on housebound status, and TDIU are all denied. The effective date of the 100% disability rating for PTSD is set at November 25, 2019.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error. The VA medical opinion is inadequate as it did not consider the available evidence, including in-service audiometric data.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, left lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, and right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy. The decision is based on the Veteran's current diagnoses and a finding that his conditions are secondary to service-connected disabilities.