Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2024

The Board has determined that the VA examination and opinions are inadequate for adjudication purposes, particularly regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and its relationship to his service-connected tinnitus. The claim is therefore remanded for further development.

The Veteran's headaches and tinnitus claims are both granted, with the tinnitus claim being remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for hearing loss and tinnitus due to an inadequate VA examination, requiring a new examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss but granted service connection for tinnitus, attributing the latter to military noise exposure.

For the period from December 27, 2018 to February 10, 2021, the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.,For the period from February 10, 2021, the Veteran's combined disability rating is 100%, and he has been granted TDIU due to his severe cervical spine condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities met the percentage requirements for a schedular TDIU on August 7, 2020, and he was precluded from securing and following substantially gainful employment as of this date. An effective date of August 7, 2020, is granted for the grant of TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service, and therefore grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for tinnitus and left ankle degenerative arthritis, including as secondary to service-connected disabilities due to a duty to assist error in not providing VA examinations.

The Board has remanded all service connection claims for accrued benefits purposes due to a failure to obtain relevant medical records and associate them with the claims file.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran's service connection claims are being remanded for further adjudication.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, a right big toe disability, and tinnitus. The Veteran's current disabilities are found to have onset during her active duty.,Service connection is denied for bilateral hearing loss as the evidence does not meet the criteria for a disability for VA purposes.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to an incomplete record, specifically missing private treatment reports from Kaiser dated since 2017.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for tinnitus, finding that no claim was filed prior to November 20, 2017.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his service-connected conditions do not meet the schedular criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and a neck disability, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for tinnitus and has remanded the issue of service connection for low back pain.

The Veteran's claims of increased disability evaluations for tinnitus and vertigo are remanded due to a duty to assist error. The AOJ must obtain the Veteran's VA treatment records related to his service-connected conditions during the appeal period.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was denied in a March 2013 rating decision. The effective date of the grant of service connection is set at October 27, 2021, as this is when the Veteran submitted his supplemental claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is service connected, but his bilateral hearing loss cannot be due to in-service noise exposure. The decision for hearing loss remains denied.