Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Veteran meets the schedular requirement for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected unspecified depressive disorder and tinnitus, effective December 24, 2017.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance or being housebound is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error. A new VA medical opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him in need of regular aid and attendance, or permanently housebound.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new evidence received since previous decisions supports these claims. The conditions are considered to have manifested during service with continuity of symptoms thereafter.

The Veteran's VA compensation benefits were improperly terminated from September 16, 2016 to January 8, 2018 due to fugitive felon status. The reduction of his benefits from January 9, 2018 to June 9, 2018 was also improper due to incarceration.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, has been granted. The claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have also been granted.,The reopened claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder is remanded due to the submission of new evidence.

The Veteran's claim for SMC at the housebound rate was denied as he does not have a single service-connected disability rated 100% and an additional disability or disabilities independently ratable at 60%. The Board found that his TDIU granted due to multiple service-connected disabilities did not meet the criteria for SMC based on housebound status.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's left eye conjunctivitis is remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone did not render him in need of regular aid and attendance or permanently housebound, thus SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status due to service-connected disabilities is denied.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected, with the Board finding that his current disability resulted from in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain is rated at 40 percent, and the Board finds that a higher initial rating of 40 percent is warranted.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are at least as likely as not related to active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors in obtaining adequate medical opinions.,All issues related to the Veteran's hearing loss, tinnitus, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, cervical spine condition, and traumatic brain injury will be addressed.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran did not incur these conditions during active duty or due to in-service noise exposure.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding the Veteran's pre-existing hearing loss did not worsen during service.,Service connection was granted for tinnitus and bilateral tinea pedis. The Veteran reported experiencing these conditions since service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the sacroiliac joints and tinnitus have been denied. The claim for PTSD is remanded.,Service connection cannot be granted as there is no evidence of a current disability, an in-service event, or a nexus between the claimed conditions and service.

The Veteran's TDIU and SMC claims were denied as his disabilities do not meet the criteria for a schedular or extraschedular rating, and he does not require regular aid and attendance due to service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased disability rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has been withdrawn. The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and eye disability have been reopened, but the matter is remanded to provide a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD prior to September 28, 2021, and the TDIU claim prior to that date were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a disability rating greater than 50 percent or 70 percent for PTSD prior to September 28, 2021, and after that date, respectively.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for high cholesterol was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.,Service connection is granted for tinnitus, with the condition having been shown in service and continuing since then.