Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2024

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability or a causal relationship to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a new VA examination regarding the Veteran's service-connected erectile dysfunction and to assign an initial rating and effective date for his tinnitus grant.

The Board dismissed the appeals due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal before the decision was made.

The Board's January 4, 2024 decision did not address the Veteran's claim for a TDIU from June 9, 2017 through January 21, 2021. The case is now remanded to consider this issue.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's March 14, 2014, VA Form 9 was timely filed and reinstated the appeal for increased ratings and service connection claims.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied, and the appeals regarding service connection for various conditions were also denied. The decision does not provide a specific rating assigned or effective date.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to December 23, 2009 is remanded due to the effects of his service-connected seizure disorder and bilateral tinnitus. The Board finds sufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility that he is unemployable by reason of these disabilities.

The Veteran is eligible for special monthly compensation (SMC) under the statutory housebound criteria from September 20, 2010 due to his service-connected coronary artery disease and other disabilities independently rated at 60 percent or more.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board also found that the Veteran had not raised any other issues, nor have any other issues been reasonably raised by the record.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, depression, anxiety disorders, asthma, bronchitis, COPD, tinnitus, GERD/IBS, and hearing loss, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment for the period on appeal. The Board has granted TDIU based on this finding.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for SMC based on aid and attendance, as his need for regular aid and assistance is due to non-service-connected conditions. The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied because he has sufficient combined rating from service-connected disabilities (60% for varicose veins of the right lower extremity and 40% for varicose veins of the left lower extremity) that do not meet the requirement for a TDIU based on unemployability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment, and thus grants a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to in-service exposure to loud jet noises, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the previously denied claims for service connection of left ankle disorder, right ankle disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, bilateral pes planus, and tinnitus. The claims are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to April 12, 2021.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been granted. The effective date of the award is March 22, 2018.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no earlier effective date sought or indicated by the Veteran.

The Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for disabilities of the right knee, left knee, and lumbar spine are dismissed.,An effective date earlier than December 1, 2017, for the award of service connection for residuals of a stroke is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone or in combination did not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and work history.

The Veteran's character of discharge for the period from June 12, 2004, to October 2, 2007, constitutes a bar to VA benefits.,Entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including major depression and PTSD) is dismissed.