Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, low back disability, cervical spine disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, right leg disability, and left leg disability due to incomplete service treatment records. The Veteran's service connection claims are being returned for further review with additional examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to military noise exposure. The Veteran's active duty MOS of light weapons infantry was considered highly probable for hazardous noise exposure.

The VA has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection due to lack of new and relevant evidence, as the submitted evidence was already available at the time of the initial decision.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for tinnitus based on clear and unmistakable error (CUE) is being remanded due to a failure to address the correct issue in the initial decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is at least as likely as not related to his active-duty service, and therefore grants entitlement to service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to in-service noise exposure. The Veteran's STRs do not show any evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus, but post-service treatment records indicate these conditions have been diagnosed.,For tinnitus specifically, the March 2020 VA examination found that it is at least as likely as not related to his service-connected bilateral recurrent tinnitus. The examiner noted there was no significant shift in hearing and no evidence of permanent auditory damage during service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since March 19, 2021.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus as he does not have a current diagnosis of this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected tinnitus is currently rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum rating allowed under VA regulations. The Board has determined that a higher disability rating is not warranted.

The Veteran's tinnitus was not incurred in service and is denied as the claim cannot be granted on a direct basis.

The Veteran's death was not caused by or related to any service-connected conditions. The appellant is granted a nonservice-connected burial allowance but denied a plot or interment allowance due to the lack of evidence that the Veteran's cremains were interred.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, but the Board finds that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating.,His hypertension is currently rated at 10 percent and requires continuous medication for control.

The Board has denied service connection for tinnitus and headaches, finding no evidence of in-service onset or relationship to service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but dismissed the appeal regarding unspecified restrictive lung disease as moot due to a prior grant of service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from being able to prepare for, obtain, or maintain suitable employment consistent with his abilities, aptitudes, and interests. The Board denied the Veteran's request for VR&E benefits as he did not meet the criteria for an employment handicap.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The claim for left elbow disability and bilateral hearing loss is denied.

Your appeals for service connection for left shoulder condition and tinnitus have been dismissed because the appeal was not filed within one year of the denial in September 2020.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for left ear hearing loss and remanded the issue of right ear hearing loss. The Veteran's tinnitus is related to her active duty, while there is no evidence of current left or right ear hearing loss that meets VA criteria.

The Veteran's motion to revise the August 2018 rating decision regarding effective dates and disability ratings was dismissed because the decision had not yet become final at the time of the CUE motion.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have started during service and has continued since then, meeting the criteria for service connection.