Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2024

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current tinnitus is at least as likely as not related to his active service due to exposure to hazardous noise.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for gastrointestinal disorder, to include GERD, and respiratory disorder, including asthma, due to a lack of adequate medical opinions. Service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for tinnitus is denied as the current 10 percent rating assigned is the maximum allowed under VA regulations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his neck and back conditions, diabetes, coronary artery disease, and diabetic neuropathy, render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's daughter was denied eligibility for VA Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) benefits because the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a serious injury incurred or aggravated in the line of duty, and his combined disability rating was insufficient to qualify as such.

The Board has determined that the VA provided inadequate assistance in examining and obtaining medical opinions for the appellant's claims of right ear hearing loss and tinnitus. The claims are therefore being remanded to provide a proper examination and obtain relevant medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for loss of use of bilateral lower extremities was denied as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating prior to August 24, 2021.,Service connection for additional nerve disabilities (sciatic nerve, peroneal nerve, femoral nerve, saphenous nerve) was granted.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in approximate balance as to whether his tinnitus was caused by military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss has been granted due to the submission of new evidence. The Board finds that the Veteran sustained acoustic trauma during active service, which is related to his current symptoms of tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's tinnitus was not shown to have had its onset in service, is not etiologically related to service and did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of service discharge. Therefore, the claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and PTSD were granted effective June 4, 2019. The Board found that an earlier effective date is not warranted as the claims had not previously been denied and subsequently allowed resulting from the correction of the military records.

Service connection for prostate cancer is granted. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, GERD, heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU as he has not provided a VA Form 21-8940, and his employment status is unclear. The Board cannot evaluate the economic and noneconomic components of the substantially gainful employment standard.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The decision on tinnitus is based on the Veteran's credible report of onset during service and presumed exposure to noise, while the denial of hearing loss is due to a lack of evidence meeting VA criteria.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was received on September 18, 2012. The effective date of the award is January 16, 2013, as this is when the evidence first established a link between the tinnitus and hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss did not have its onset during military service and was not related to such service.,The Board also denied service connection for tinnitus, concluding that there is no evidence linking the condition to military service.

The Veteran's low back condition, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, is granted service connection secondary to his service-connected left knee condition.,The Veteran's bilateral tinnitus is granted service connection due to in-service hazardous noise exposure.

The Board has found duty to assist errors in the hearing loss and tinnitus claims, which were not addressed during the March 2020 rating decision. The claims are being remanded for further evaluation.