Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2024

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his active duty service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate medical opinions in the original decision. The Veteran was exposed to noise during service, but there is no objective evidence of permanent auditory damage on active duty from noise exposure.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that the evidence does not support a finding of in-service noise exposure or a nexus between current tinnitus and military service.

The Board has granted effective dates of July 12, 2021 for the grant of service connection for kidney cancer, s/p nephroureterectomy, and residual scars, s/p left nephroureterectomy. The Veteran also received SMC based on housebound criteria.

The Board has dismissed the appeal as the claim for nonservice-connected pension benefits was granted in full, effective May 11, 2021. The Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD, acquired psychiatric disorder, hearing loss, and tinnitus remain unresolved.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus began during his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to address the Veteran's contention of tinnitus related to in-service noise exposure and his reported 'tingling' sensation in his ears during the February 2021 VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran's National Guard service is considered, but an addendum opinion is needed from an appropriate clinician regarding the etiology of his hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeals for an effective date prior to December 27, 2022 and for a higher initial evaluation for obstructive sleep apnea have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to service, granting his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including back disability, erectile dysfunction, left-hand disability, right knee strain, and left knee strain have been granted. Tinnitus has also been granted as a separate condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology, specifically whether they are related to service. A new VA opinion is needed.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be etiologically linked to his active-duty service and the claim for service connection has been granted.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as there was no prior claim filed before October 14, 2019.,New evidence has been received to support the service connection claims for squamous cell carcinoma of the right tonsil and adenocarcinoma with signet ring cells. These claims are now granted.

The Veteran's tinnitus was incurred in service and has been chronic since then, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and sustaining employment, thus denying his claim for TDIU.

The Board has decided to remand the service connection claims for PTSD with major depressive disorder, hearing loss, and tinnitus due to potential errors in obtaining relevant private treatment records and inadequate attempts at corroborating claimed in-service stressors.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claim of service connection for bilateral tinnitus due to insufficient evidence regarding its etiology.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were dismissed due to the death of the Veteran before a decision could be made. The surviving spouse did not file a timely request for substitution within one year of the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus on a presumptive basis. However, the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to inadequate examination and opinion.