Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2025

The Board granted a 70 percent rating for major depressive disorder with anxious distress, including insomnia disorder with other medical morbidity (MDD) and denied a higher rating for tinnitus.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, right ankle condition, left ankle condition, right knee condition, left knee condition, right elbow condition, left elbow condition, right foot condition, left foot condition, and right trigger finger. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and lung condition were remanded.

The Board granted service connection for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), migraine headaches, and tinnitus but denied service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, finding it directly related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus, finding the evidence is in approximate balance as to whether it is due to noise exposure during service.

The Board denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to August 24, 2023.

The Board granted service connection for right leg pain, left leg pain, right foot pain, and left foot pain, restored a 20 percent rating for lumbosacral strain effective March 1, 2021, denied increased ratings for tinnitus, lumbosacral strain, and right hip strain, granted an earlier effective date for depression, and granted TDIU.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to non-compliance with previous remand instructions.

The Board denied an increased rating for tinnitus and remanded the claims for lumbar spine IVDS, radiculopathy of both lower extremities, service connection for a psychiatric disorder, and TDIU due to further development needed.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for tinnitus, left knee strain with limitation of extension, left knee scar, and posttraumatic stress disorder with unspecified depressive disorder, alcohol use disorder, and cannabis use disorder.

The appeal was dismissed due to a claims processing error.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus due to insufficient evidence regarding the dates and character of the veteran's National Guard service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate VA examination reports.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic condition in service or within the applicable presumptive period and that the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset were not credible.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus based on the presumption that it is a chronic disease and was noted in service with continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and denied an initial compensable rating for erectile dysfunction, while remanding the claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a diagnosis or treatment within one year of separation from active duty and that the private opinion provided little probative weight.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of August 26, 2018, for the 70 percent rating for service-connected PTSD and denied a higher rating during that period. Other claims were either denied or did not result in a compensable rating.

The veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection and disability ratings related to bilateral tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, right knee strain, and residual scars.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence did not support a current diagnosis of hearing loss or establish a link between the Veteran's military noise exposure and his claimed conditions.