Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of VA examination, despite the Veteran's previously unavailable service treatment records being located. The Veteran was not provided with clear information about the purpose of the examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete records and requests for additional information.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings have been denied.,The Veteran was granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss on April 16, 2018. The right shoulder strain rating has been increased to 20 percent since June 26, 2018. Service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy was established on the same date.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have no effective dates earlier than April 16, 2018.,Right shoulder strain has an effective date of June 26, 2018. The left lower extremity radiculopathy was granted service connection on the same date.,The Veteran's left hamstring injury residuals and lumbar strain have no effective dates earlier than April 16, 2018.,Left knee strain has an effective date of June 26, 2018. The Veteran's right shoulder strain rating was increased to 20 percent on the same date.,The Veteran's lumbar strain and left knee strain have no effective dates earlier than April 16, 2018.

The Board has restored service connection for tinnitus, but the severance of service connection was improper. Service connection for middle back injury and bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to failure to report for a scheduled VA examination without good cause shown.

The Veteran's disability ratings for the period on appeal were sufficient to meet the criteria for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on statutory housebound status under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s). The combined disabilities met the requirement of a single service-connected disability rated at 100 percent and additional service-connected disabilities collectively ratable at 60 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, increased evaluations for bilateral plantar fasciitis with DJD and heel spurs, gout, and shin splints. The evidence did not support a diagnosis of tinnitus or current disability related to military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment prior to January 31, 2012.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that it did not begin during or immediately after his military service and is unrelated to any in-service noise exposure. The evidence showed no complaints of tinnitus in service and a long delay between its onset and separation from service.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to May 31, 2016 was denied due to the combined rating of his service-connected disabilities not meeting the schedular requirements. The Board has now remanded this issue to the Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of compliance with previous directives and the need for a new VA examination to assess the combined effect of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities on his employability.

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

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a vocational assessment and VA examinations of his service-connected disabilities. The case will be referred to the Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to February 19, 2016, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to obtain recent VA treatment records and conduct current VA examinations regarding his service-connected disabilities. The issues of increased ratings for various conditions are being remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted a rating of 70 percent effective from December 28, 2015. The Board also granted TDIU based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence did not support a link to active service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as there are insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as secondary to service-connected hypertension. The right and left hip disabilities are remanded for further examination and opinion.