Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and sleep apnea to include as secondary to PTSD are denied. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder including PTSD is granted but the issue of service connection for left ear hearing loss is remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate VA examinations and duty to assist errors.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not related to his active service. However, the Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability due to a lack of evidence linking it to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's tinnitus and PTSD have been granted service connection, with a 50% rating for PTSD. The lumbosacral strain disability has been denied an increased rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is not related to his service-connected frostbite residuals of the ears and is not otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee disability, back disability, headaches secondary to PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and sleep apnea is not reopened. The Veteran's PTSD has been granted a 70% rating effective from February 8, 2018. An earlier effective date for the increased PTSD rating cannot be established.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow any substantially gainful employment since September 27, 2012. Effective as of that date, he is granted a TDIU and basic eligibility for DEA benefits.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation for the time period from March 22, 2010, to March 14, 2012.

The Board has dismissed all service connection claims due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's active military service.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability from January 15, 2013 to November 15, 2018 due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need to verify periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA. The VA will also arrange for a VA audiology examination and orthopedic examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his tinnitus and current right knee, shoulder, and neck disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has granted entitlement to service connection for various conditions. The effective dates are not specified as they were not addressed in this decision.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and dismissed the appeals for depression, erectile dysfunction, sleep apnea, and migraine headaches.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss was dismissed because the Veteran died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU for the period from July 16, 2010 to July 17, 2017 due to his service-connected disabilities. However, he was denied a TDIU for the period after July 18, 2017 as he successfully completed Vocational Rehabilitation and obtained full-time employment.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a vision disability, psychiatric disability, tinnitus, and right ankle degenerative joint disease. The claims are being remanded due to inadequate examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's claims of hearing loss and tinnitus, as there is insufficient evidence in the record to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD). The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his active duty service. Service connection for hypertension, to include as secondary to herbicide exposure, and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD) are remanded due to the need for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.