Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2026

The Veteran withdrew his appeals on all issues related to tinnitus, right hand condition, bilateral hearing loss, coronary artery disease (CAD), gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), and vertigo. The Board dismissed these appeals as a result of the Veteran's withdrawal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing (SAH) or special home adaptation (SHA) grants due to his existing conditions and ratings.

The Veteran's stress fracture of neck femur, right hip is granted service connection. The left shoulder strain claim remains pending as the appeal period includes a partial grant of benefits (20% rating). Tinnitus has been rated at its highest schedular level.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that there was no evidence of a service-connected condition resulting in allergic rhinitis, residual scars of the left shoulder, bilateral tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as adjustment disorder), a cervical and cervicothoracic region pain disorder, radicular pain of the right upper extremity, or chronic sinusitis. The Veteran's hearing loss disability claim was also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus as secondary to service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The claims for lumbar spine, neck, left hip, and left knee disabilities are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

Service connection for tinnitus is granted.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches, to include as due to a service-connected disability, is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for SMC based on aid and attendance was denied because he failed to report for a necessary VA examination without good cause.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are found to be related to his military service, leading to the grant of service connection for both conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for tinnitus due to noise exposure during active service. The Veteran's lay statements and medical records will be reviewed, and a VA examination may be conducted to determine if there is a link between the claimed condition and his military service.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the appellant requested to withdraw their appeal before a decision was made.

The Veteran's appeals for various conditions and ratings are dismissed due to untimely filing of his Notice of Disagreement. The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection, rating determinations, and other claims.

The Board has granted effective dates of December 5, 2019, for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), tinnitus, and a lumbar spine disability.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for recurrent tinnitus due to a duty-to-assist error, requiring further development and examination.

The Veteran's tinnitus disability is rated at the maximum allowable under VA guidelines, and a separate rating of 30 percent for unspecified insomnia disorder is granted.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (claimed as alcoholism, anxiety, depression, and/or PTSD) and tinnitus due to a lack of evidence showing in-service onset or relationship to service. The Veteran's inconsistent statements were considered, and the Board found that his lay testimony was not credible.

The Veteran's TDIU and SMC claims for service-connected disabilities are granted, with the effective date being July 28, 2025. The TDIU is based on bilateral claw foot alone, while the SMC is due to additional disabilities rated at 60 percent or more.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him so helpless as to be in need of regular aid and attendance of another person, nor does he have a single service-connected disability rated at 100 percent with additional service-connected disability or disabilities independently ratable at 60 percent. The Board finds that the Veteran is able to perform most of his activities of daily living independently.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and pleural plaques (asbestosis) associated with TERA participation are currently rated at 20 percent, 10 percent, and 10 percent respectively. The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher ratings in each of these conditions.