Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has decided that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, but has ordered a remand to obtain additional medical opinions regarding these conditions.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss disability, lumbar spine disability, and psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as it is at least as likely as not related to exposure to acoustic trauma during active duty. Service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, lumbar spine disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, and psychiatric disorder are remanded due to the need for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection on multiple issues are being remanded due to the need for additional medical evidence and opinions.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a cardiovascular disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was granted. The appeals of the claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a temporary total disability evaluation following an August 8, 2009 spondylolisthesis surgery were dismissed.

The Veteran's tinnitus and throat pain have been granted service connection, but the issue of an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss has been remanded.

The Board has decided that another remand is necessary before the matter of the Veteran's entitlement to a TDIU can be adjudicated. The RO must obtain an opinion from a qualified clinician regarding the functional impact of the Veteran’s service-connected disabilities, in combination, on his employability.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a psychiatric disorder was denied. The Board found no evidence of a diagnosed psychiatric condition.,A rating in excess of 10% for tinnitus was also denied, as the Veteran is already receiving the maximum schedular rating.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to June 11, 2011 was denied as he did not meet the schedular requirements for a combined rating of 70% or more due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him so helpless as to need regular aid and attendance or permanently confined to his immediate premises, thus denying the claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on aid and attendance or an account of being housebound.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and service connection for burn scars related to mustard gas exposure has been denied.,Service connection for the burn scars was not established.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation on and after May 26, 2009. The Board has granted TDIU for this period.

The Board has granted service connection for recurrent tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's tinnitus began during his military service. Service connection was denied for right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's conditions were incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions, as no VA examiner has provided an opinion on their nature and etiology.

For the period prior to May 19, 2017, the Veteran's disability rating was 40 percent and did not meet the criteria for schedular consideration of TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.,For the period from May 19, 2017, to November 21, 2018, the Veteran’s combined disability rating was 60 percent and did not meet the criteria for schedular consideration of TDIU; however, his service-connected PTSD precluded substantially gainful employment.,For the period beginning November 21, 2018, the Veteran's combined disability rating is 70 percent and meets the criteria for schedular consideration of TDIU; his service-connected PTSD precludes substantially gainful employment.

The appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to the Veteran's death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate these claims as they are moot.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo secondary to hearing loss are granted. The claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for interstitial lung disease is denied.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease is related to his presumed in-service exposure to herbicide agents in the Republic of Vietnam, and service connection for this condition has been granted.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and denied increased disability ratings for pigmentary glaucoma from March 5, 2016 to May 21, 2018. The Veteran's current pigmentary glaucoma is rated at 70% since May 22, 2018.,The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran’s tinnitus to service and denied his claim for service connection. For his pigmentary glaucoma, the Board noted that it required continuous medication but did not cause incapacitating episodes over the previous year.