Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2024

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received for the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which were previously denied in July 2018. The claims are being remanded to allow for a new examination and evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for tinnitus, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy has been dismissed due to the withdrawal of her appeal by her authorized representative.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to duty-to-assist errors, including obtaining records from non-VA providers and verifying periods of active duty for training.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented her from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment since May 20, 2017. Her TDIU claim is granted with an effective date of May 20, 2017.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's tinnitus is related to military noise exposure during her active duty.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have been incurred in service due to noise exposure, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 20% and tinnitus at 10%, both of which are the maximum schedular ratings. The Board denied increased ratings for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is dismissed as moot due to the grant of service connection in a previous decision. The claims for service connection for vision disorder (cataracts) and bilateral hearing loss are remanded.

The Veteran's tinnitus was aggravated beyond normal progression by military service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder with anxious distress is rated at 70 percent, effective from December 23, 2021. The Board also granted entitlement to a TDIU based on the combined effect of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been granted by the AOJ, and he has withdrawn his appeal.

The Veteran's claims for sleep apnea, PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been granted. The claim for sleep apnea is remanded due to a change in the character of service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no persuasive evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The AOJ will consider any additional evidence when the claims are readjudicated.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as these conditions are not shown to have been incurred or aggravated by active military service.

The Board has remanded all but one of the claims for additional development, particularly to determine whether the Veteran served in Vietnam and was exposed to tactical herbicide agents. The dental disability claim is denied as there is no indication or assertion that tactical herbicide agents resulted in a dental disability.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea. The decision found that the Veteran's current tinnitus is related to in-service noise exposure, while his obstructive sleep apnea did not have onset during service.

The Veteran's PTSD with depression and insomnia has been granted an initial increased rating of 70 percent, effective from October 2, 2020, through February 1, 2021.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are both granted as service-connected.