Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for a hearing disability, also claimed as ringing in the ears. The claim of service connection for a testicular condition (also claimed as retro-pubic muscle strain and hernia condition) is reopened.

The Veteran was previously employed but resigned due to service-connected disabilities, including back pain and ureteral stricture.,From January 1, 2017, onward, the combination of his service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran withdrew their appeals for service connection for heart disease, hypertension, hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum available schedular rating for this disability. The Board denied an increased rating.

Service connection is granted for PTSD, MDD, anxiety, migraines, and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.,The Veteran's service-connected disabilities include PTSD, MDD, anxiety, migraines, and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in a need for regular aid and attendance of another person, which has been granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right and left knee disabilities, and right and left hip disabilities have been denied as new and material evidence was not received. The effective dates for the awards of service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy were also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD alone prevented him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, but he is now rated at 100% for PTSD. As a result, the claim for TDIU as of November 6, 2020 is dismissed.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to in-service acoustic trauma and granted service connection. However, the decision on bilateral hearing loss remains pending as it was remanded for further examination.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal for service connection for tinnitus before the Board could make a decision.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis is at least as likely as not related to her in-service exposure to noise. Service connection for a mass on her left ear was denied due to lack of evidence of an active disease process during the claim period.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's in-service noise exposure is sufficient to result in a grant of service connection for tinnitus. The Board resolved doubt in favor of the Veteran and found that his current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate is denied because he does not meet the statutory criteria for SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s). He has a combined disability rating of 30 percent and no service-connected disability rated higher than 10 percent, which prevents him from qualifying for SMC at the housebound rate.

The Veteran's TDIU and DEA benefits are granted effective December 22, 2009. The decision also grants the Veteran a 70 percent rating for PTSD since December 22, 2009.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The Board finds the November 2018 VA opinion inadequate and remands the case to obtain a new VA audiology examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU, finding that additional development is needed. The issues include a rating in excess of 30 percent for peripheral vestibular disorder, a compensable rating for post-operative right tympanoplasty for perforated right tympanic membrane, a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus, and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service or noise exposure.

The Board dismissed the appeals for earlier effective dates on all issues related to service connection due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Veteran's service connection claim for tinnitus is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran experienced ringing in his ears during service and it has continued since then, supporting a finding of continuity of symptomatology. For bilateral hearing loss, the Board remanded to obtain an adequate opinion regarding its onset and relationship to service.