Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, and tinnitus due to lack of a medical nexus between his current conditions and military service.,The Board found that there was no evidence showing a diagnosis or treatment for these conditions during service, and the Veteran did not report them until after separation.

The Board denied service connection for lung disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, dental disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD). The Veteran's lung disorder was not related to service or asbestos exposure. His bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown to have started within one year of separation from service. Service connection was also denied for his dental condition due to lack of evidence of a compensable disability. Finally, the Board found that service connection could not be granted for PTSD as it is presumed related to active duty.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the requisite schedular percentages for entitlement to a TDIU prior to June 5, 2015. The evidence does not demonstrate that he was unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as a result of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment, with the Board finding that his PTSD is the primary cause of his unemployment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for kidney stones was denied in July 2015, and the claim has been reopened due to new evidence. The Board finds that there is no evidence of a nexus between the current disability and service.,Service connection for IBS was granted in July 2015 with an effective date of November 19, 2014. The Veteran's appeal regarding the effective date is dismissed as untimely.

The Veteran's tinnitus, right knee strain status post partial lateral meniscectomy, and right knee limited extension were denied increased ratings. The Veteran was granted a 10 percent rating for left eye optic neuritis.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. Bilateral hearing loss is found to have been aggravated by noise exposure during active service, while tinnitus is presumed to have begun as the result of acoustic trauma during active service.

The petition to reopen claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss is granted. The petition to reopen a claim for service connection for bilateral knee disability is denied, and the case is remanded.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was granted effective September 20, 2018, based on his service-connected disabilities resulting in a combined rating of 90 percent.

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

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU, but due to an identified duty to assist error, his claim is remanded to obtain additional records that may impact the decision.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss but granted service connection for tinnitus. The decision is based on the Veteran's credible reports of in-service noise exposure and subsequent development of symptoms.

The Veteran's initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied.,The Veteran's initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus was also denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic headaches is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error. The AOJ needs to obtain an addendum opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran’s headaches and his service-connected disabilities, including chronic sinusitis, sleep apnea, tinnitus, allergic rhinitis, or pain from other service-connected orthopedic conditions.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities and for TDIU on an extraschedular basis. The case is being returned for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted. The Board found that the evidence supports a finding of in-service onset and noise exposure, leading to service connection.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to incomplete service treatment records and the need for medical opinions regarding the etiology of the veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disabilities. The claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus remain denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, tinnitus, hearing loss, and erectile dysfunction, have rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment since July 13, 2010. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that there was no in-service incurrence or aggravation of a disease or injury and no causal relationship between the current disability and his military service.