Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2025

The appeal for service connection for tinnitus was dismissed because the March 2025 document did not meet the legal criteria to qualify as a decision.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection for various conditions, finding no evidence of a valid intent to file prior to May 17, 2024.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claims for a left knee disability and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding a relationship to the appellant's in-service hazardous noise exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus as there was no evidence of a current diagnosis, and the onset of symptoms occurred well after service.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and denied initial ratings in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral spine intervertebral disc syndrome, degenerative arthritis, radiculopathy, and left knee degenerative arthritis. The Board also denied an initial compensable rating for a right wrist scar and limitation of extension of the left knee.

The Board granted service connection for asthma, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus but denied service connection for chronic headaches. The Board also granted an initial disability rating of 40 percent for back disability.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus as the weight of the evidence is against a finding that it was related to active military service.

The veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for tinnitus and cysts, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review these claims.

The Veteran's service-connected Meniere's syndrome with vertigo, hearing impairment, and tinnitus was granted a 100 percent rating effective March 1, 2017.

The Board denied service connection for insomnia, a bilateral foot disorder (claimed as osteoarthritis), and tinnitus. The claim for an increased rating for a right wrist condition was also denied.

The Board dismissed the claims for earlier effective dates and SMC, as there was no justiciable case or controversy regarding the sleep apnea rating reduction, and the Veteran did not meet the criteria for an earlier effective date for service connection for right knee strain, tinnitus, or SMC.

The Board remands the claims for further development, including an adequate examination and provision of qualifications of examiners.

The Board dismissed the veteran's appeal for not timely filing an appeal request within one year of the rating decisions issued on March 31, 2022, and May 23, 2023.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded him from securing or maintaining substantial gainful employment as of March 31, 2023.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and effective dates prior to March 17, 2023, for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board denied an initial rating higher than 50 percent for PTSD, granted a 20 percent rating for bilateral dry eye syndrome, and denied ratings higher than 10 percent for left knee strain with arthritis and a compensable initial rating for right ear hearing loss. The Board also denied service connection for left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, left hip arthralgia, right hip arthralgia, right foot pes planus and plantar fasciitis, status post subtalar joint arthrodesis (right foot condition), and candida infections but granted service connection for left leg lower extremity radiculopathy and right leg lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for tinnitus, finding that December 8, 2022, is the proper and earliest effective date based on the submission of a properly completed form.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's condition is related to his active service.

The Board denied service connection for right and left foot disabilities, an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, and an effective date prior to October 28, 2022, for the grant of service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability. The claims for service connection for residuals of a laceration to the right index and middle fingers and tinnitus were remanded.