Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to new evidence received since his last denial in October 1984. The claim is reopened, but the merits of both issues are still pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The Board finds in favor of the Veteran and grants his claim, as he has provided credible evidence to establish a nexus between his current tinnitus and his military service. His right knee disorder issue remains pending due to insufficient medical opinion.

The Board has granted service connection for a respiratory disorder, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's current disabilities are considered direct service connections based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's tinnitus is presumed to have been incurred in service due to noise exposure during his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran had acoustic trauma during service. Service connection was denied for right and left knee disorders, left ankle disorder, and stomach disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's recurrent tinnitus began during active service and resolving doubt in his favor.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, effective December 11, 2019. The appeal for higher ratings prior to this date was denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to October 16, 2018. Therefore, entitlement to TDIU was denied.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's competent and credible statements of ongoing tinnitus since service are the most probative evidence. The criteria for service connection have been met.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's symptoms started during his military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to in-service noise exposure, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

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 did not prevent him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment at any pertinent point prior to his death. The claim for a TDIU due to the late Veteran’s service-connected disabilities, to include on an extra-schedular basis, must be denied.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities were both denied. The Board found that the Veteran’s current hearing impairment did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under VA's rating schedule, and his TDIU claim was also denied as his combined service-connected disability rating does not meet the requirements for extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran's tinnitus claim is granted as it is at least as likely as not that the condition began in service and has persisted since.,The Veteran's kidney cancer claim is denied because there is no evidence of a disease or injury in service, nor any indication that the condition manifested within one year of separation from service.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim is remanded due to the possibility of delayed onset tinnitus and insufficient rationale for the November 2016 VA examiner’s opinion.,The Veteran's left knee disability claim is remanded as there are no medical opinions regarding a nexus between in-service complaints and current disabilities.,The Veteran's right knee disability claim is remanded due to lack of medical evidence addressing the relationship between service and current knee conditions.,The Veteran's fibromyalgia claim is remanded because there is insufficient evidence linking current symptoms to service.,The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, and ischemic heart disease claims are both remanded as exposure to herbicide agents in service must be verified before a determination can be made on these claims.,The Veteran's respiratory disability claim is remanded due to the possibility of secondary service connection for coronary artery disease.

From December 10, 2015, the Veteran was found to be unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus and granted it, finding that there is a reasonable doubt in favor of the claim based on credible statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for Meniere's syndrome is granted, effective February 29, 2012. The disability is rated at 60 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for left ear hearing loss disability. The Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not shown to be causally related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's recurrent tinnitus began during service and continued since.