Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including major depressive disorder and physical conditions like lumbar sprain, left hip bursitis, tinnitus, and right knee condition, have rendered her unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted TDIU for the entire period on appeal.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete medical opinions and failure to obtain all relevant treatment records, including those from Duke University Hospital. The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is being reviewed again.

The Veteran's tinnitus is rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as his symptoms are already covered by the current rating criteria.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and COPD are all granted. The claim for COPD is remanded as the evidence does not establish a nexus between the current diagnosis of COPD and in-service exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU from June 26, 2019 is granted. The Board also remanded several issues including the rating of genu recurvatum and knee degenerative arthritis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no current evidence of a hearing loss disability for VA purposes and insufficient medical opinion to establish a nexus between tinnitus and service.

The Board dismissed the appeal for entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his claim. The remaining issues (bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right ankle disorder, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder) are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to lack of informed decision-making on service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a heart disorder. The Veteran's in-service noise exposure is an issue.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hearing loss and tinnitus, have been granted. However, the issues of service connection for hypertension, skin disorder (including actinic keratosis and rosacea), diabetes mellitus, bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are remanded due to insufficient evidence or procedural errors.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete development of his VA medical records and the need for additional examinations.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to new evidence received since the last final denial. The Veteran's lay statements indicate noise exposure during service, but a VA examiner found no significant threshold shift in his hearing ability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a right knee infection related to VA surgery in February 2008, finding that there was no evidence of carelessness or negligence on the part of VA. The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded due to potential issues with continuity of symptomatology.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as there is no current disability found by VA standards.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted service connection for tinnitus. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD is remanded.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of a current disability or causation during active duty. Service connection was granted for residuals of cold injury of the hands and feet due to exposure to extreme cold in Korea.,Obstructive sleep apnea is remanded as there are insufficient reasons provided by the VA examiner.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to procedural defects in the November 2019 VA audiological examination report. The examiner is asked to provide an opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran’s bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, addressing relevant information provided by the Veteran.

The Veteran's request to reopen a previously denied claim for service connection for tinnitus was denied because the new evidence received since the last denial is duplicative of the previous evidence.

The claims for right ear hearing loss, bilateral eye disability, BLE arthritis, gout, diabetes mellitus, left ear hearing loss, erectile dysfunction, surgical scar, tinnitus, hypertension, and lumbar spine disability have been dismissed due to the lack of an adequate substantive appeal.,The claim for liver disability has also been dismissed as there was no adequate substantive appeal.

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

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, migraines, left knee degenerative joint disease and tendonitis/tendinosis, right shoulder disability, right hip disability, and bilateral leg disability (knees, left hip) have been granted service connection. The Veteran's arm condition/tingling is not considered a separate issue as it is related to the left shoulder.