Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has decided that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to outstanding questions regarding its etiology.

The Veteran's claims for an effective date prior to June 5, 2014 for the award of a 10 percent evaluation for a residual laceration scar above right eye were denied.,The Veteran's claims for an effective date prior to June 5, 2014 for the grant of service connection for right eye ptosis and tinnitus were also denied.

The Veteran's TDIU is granted as of June 17, 2016 due to marginal employment. Prior to that date, his income was above the poverty level and he had been employed full-time.

The Board has remanded the cases due to an inadequate August 2017 VA opinion regarding the Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The case is returned for further development, including obtaining a new addendum opinion from the same or another examiner.

The Board has deferred the decision on an earlier effective date for tinnitus as it is inextricably intertwined with a claim of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in previous rating decisions. The CUE claims have been referred to the agency of original jurisdiction.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining an opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed tinnitus.

The Board has denied the claim for service connection for tinnitus and has remanded the issue of initial disability rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for tinnitus, eye disorder, hypotension, heart disorder, and hemorrhoids.,Service connection is denied for sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, and prostate disorder as there are no current diagnoses of these conditions.

The Veteran's initial rating for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus remains at noncompensable levels. The claim for service connection of sleep apnea is remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. However, the claim is denied as there is no medical evidence establishing a link between his current tinnitus and military service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for tinnitus, bilateral knee osteoarthritis, and a sleep disorder are granted. The low back disability claim is remanded due to the need for an adequate VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in evaluating evidence and not considering all service-connected disabilities when determining TDIU. The Veteran's PTSD, along with other service-connected conditions, will need further examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, recurrent tinnitus, and headaches due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted service connection for tinnitus. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower and upper extremities.

The Board denied the claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the earliest date March 9, 2015 was appropriate as it is when the appellant's claim was received by VA.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected. The Board finds the Veteran competent and credible regarding his in-service noise exposure and continuous symptoms since discharge, but places little weight on the VA examiner's opinion that the tinnitus is not related to service. For the bilateral elbows, hips, and ankles, and low back disabilities, the Board finds remand necessary for further examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to April 22, 2016.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for PTSD prior to March 3, 2016 and from that date has been dismissed. The Board also remanded the issue of entitlement to SMC based on aid and attendance.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to in-service acoustic trauma.