Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

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

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and BPPV have been granted. The headaches disorder claim is secondary to the service-connected conditions.,An effective date of October 8, 2015 has been assigned for all service-connected conditions.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding insufficient evidence to link these conditions to military service.,Service connection was also not granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, nightmare disorder, and insomnia disorder), as the Veteran's contentions were not supported by medical evidence.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to an additional opinion being needed.

The Board has remanded several issues including service connection for prostate cancer, hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and a neurocognitive disorder with behavioral disturbance and memory issues. The claims are being reviewed due to the need for additional development of records.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50%, migraine headaches are rated at 50%, and lumbosacral DDD, right knee cyst removal, right ear tinnitus, and right ear hearing loss are all rated at 10%. The combined rating for these conditions results in an 80% disability rating. The Veteran's appeal is denied as his PTSD does not warrant a higher than 50% rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU, finding that prior to June 20, 2014, there was no evidence showing he was unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death, DIC benefits pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 1318, and DIC benefits under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1151.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, as a statement of the case must be issued to address the issues of service connection for PTSD, chronic fatigue syndrome, and a sleep condition.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for residuals of injury to right great and second toes, cervical spine degenerative arthritis, right upper extremity radiculopathy, and tinnitus due to lack of evidence showing an earlier effective date.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be at least as likely as not incurred during or caused by his active service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The decision is based on the evidence being in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his active service, while his bilateral hearing loss is not.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for tinnitus, increased rating for right wrist strain, and initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's petitions to reopen his claims of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus were denied. The evidence submitted did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied.,An initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus was also denied.,Service connection for colon cancer, bladder cancer, and lung cancer were all denied.,Service connection for left knee disorder and right knee disorder were both denied.,Service connection for a left ankle disorder was not addressed as it did not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of tinnitus and granted it, finding that there is at least equipoise evidence to support a finding that his current tinnitus was incurred in service.

The Veteran's tinnitus claim is denied as it is secondary to his nonservice-connected hearing loss.,Service connection for a bilateral hip disorder, right knee disorder, and sleep disorder are denied due to lack of current disabilities.,The effective date for the grant of service connection for left knee and tibia disability is denied as there was no pending claim for hearing loss during the appeal period.

The Veteran's petition to reopen previously denied claims for left wrist condition, bilateral ankle tendinitis, and low back condition were granted. The petitions for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left leg disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. Specifically, VA needs to obtain updated service treatment records and conduct further examinations to determine if these conditions are related to military service.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for tinnitus is granted. The issue of a rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbosacral strain is remanded.