Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain a new opinion regarding the service connection of various hearing loss disabilities, including residuals from an in-service injury. The Appellant's National Guard service is also being reviewed.

The Veteran is unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, including bipolar disorder and physical impairments.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed for the issues of an earlier effective date for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss. Service connection for reflux esophagitis, esophageal stricture, and gastrointestinal bleeding (claimed as stomach problems) secondary to service-connected PTSD with alcohol use disorder on a causation basis is granted. The Veteran's TDIU claim from October 25, 2016 is also granted.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for bilateral pes planus was denied, and his TDIU claim was also denied as he did not meet the criteria to be considered unemployable due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to his in-service noise exposure, resulting in a grant of service connection for both conditions.

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

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and needs a new opinion regarding the cause of tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The rating for tinnitus was not granted, the rating for bilateral hearing loss was not granted in excess of 40 percent, and the rating for a left knee disability was not granted in excess of 30 percent. Service connection for gout of the left ankle, right ankle, and left toe was also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of medical evidence supporting a nexus between current hearing loss and in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the cases for further action due to procedural errors and the need for additional examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus for further examination and opinion due to the need for additional medical evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and shoulder conditions, did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to February 12, 2020. His combined rating was at least 60% from August 19, 2009 through January 18, 2020.

The Board denied a total disability based on individual unemployability prior to March 30, 2007 and also denied an earlier effective date for the award of TDIU prior to that date. The decision is based on the Veteran's full-time employment during the appeal period.

The Veteran is denied service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability due to lack of current evidence meeting VA criteria.,Service connection granted for tinnitus, with the Board finding it at least as likely as not that the condition had its onset during ACDUTRA.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU as his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain or maintain gainful employment, and his TDIU claim is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for entitlement to service connection for the cause of death and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) due to additional development being needed. The Veteran died from cardiac arrest due to atherosclerosis with pleural effusion as a significant condition contributing to death.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for further review of the Veteran's claim for TDIU (total disability based upon individual unemployability) as a result of his service-connected disabilities, including pleural plaques and degenerative arthritis of the spine.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.