Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus, finding that it began during his time in service and is related to noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations. The VA will obtain any missing records, conduct a new examination, and provide opinions regarding the relationship of these conditions to service.

The Veteran's surviving spouse was granted an effective date of October 1, 2011 for dependency and indemnity compensation benefits. The appellant also received a grant on her accrued benefits claim. Both decisions were made after the one-year period following the Veteran's death.

The Board has determined that the VA examiner's opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus is inadequate, and thus requires a new examination to determine if these conditions are related to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current separate diagnosis of depression and thus service connection for depression is denied. The claims for GERD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cancer of the tongue, and cancer of the head are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate examination findings. The VA examiner must provide a new opinion addressing whether it is at least as likely as not that any hearing loss or tinnitus had its onset in service or is otherwise related to her military service, including exposure to flight line noise without hearing protection.

The Board has denied service connection for tinnitus due to lack of evidence linking the condition to active duty. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding a back disability claimed as osteoarthritis and/or degenerative joint disease, with an emphasis on lead exposure during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, PTSD, and residuals of shrapnel wounds to the left arm, right shoulder, and back were denied because no new evidence was submitted that related to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate these claims.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was denied due to a lack of verified in-service stressor.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence to support a direct relationship between the conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal prior to the Board making a decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and a need for additional VA examinations.

The Board has identified the Veteran's claimed conditions of bilateral hearing loss, Meniere’s disease, and tinnitus. The issues have been remanded due to outstanding private treatment records and a need for new VA examination opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but the claims for right shoulder disorder, back disorder, and right leg (to include right hip) disorder are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, ischemic heart disease, and diabetes mellitus, type II due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's skin cancer claim remains denied.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied because the evidence did not show that his service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus alone prevented him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has denied service connection for a bilateral ankle disorder due to the lack of evidence of a current disability other than gout affecting both ankles. The claims for service connection for bilateral knee, tinnitus, acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD), gout, bilateral plantar fasciitis with DJD and heel spurs, and bilateral shin splints are all remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for arthritis, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and sleep apnea as there is no evidence of current disabilities or in-service injuries related to these conditions.

The Veteran's tinnitus, claimed as ringing in the ears, is found to have started during service and has continued since then. The Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is being remanded due to the lack of a VA examination since his July 2016 claim and because no outstanding medical records have been obtained.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the percentage requirements for a TDIU under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a) prior to January 20, 2012. However, due to VA policy requiring all veterans who are unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation by reason of service-connected disabilities to be rated totally disabled, the case must be submitted to the Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration of a TDIU under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b). The Board has decided that referral is warranted for this issue.