Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2026

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, carpal tunnel syndrome of the upper extremities, low back disability, eye disabilities, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, prostate cancer, and SMC at the housebound rate due to deficiencies in obtaining Social Security Administration (SSA) records related to the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Veteran's tinnitus and hearing loss are granted as service-connected due to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him in need of regular aid and attendance, warranting SMC based on the need for aid and attendance from March 24, 2017.

The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have current bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes and therefore denied service connection for this condition. The tinnitus issue is remanded due to insufficient medical opinion.

The Veteran's claim for a separate compensable rating for insomnia due to tinnitus is granted, while the claim for a higher rating for his service-connected tinnitus remains denied.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's tinnitus had onset in service. The decision resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to his withdrawal of appeals prior to the promulgation of a decision.

The Veteran's application for PCAFC was denied because the evidence did not show that he required personal care services due to an inability to perform activities of daily living or a need for supervision, protection, or instruction.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current tinnitus is at least as likely as not related to her in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran's current tinnitus is related to his in-service noise exposure and grants this claim. However, the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to a lack of an adequate etiology opinion regarding the relationship between his current hearing loss and his military service.

The Veteran meets the schedular requirements for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, which include unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder, tinnitus, chronic right knee strain (now claimed as right leg pain), and tinea cruris. The combined rating is at least 70 percent, meeting the criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to July 11, 2023, for total disability due to individual unemployability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not clearly establish unemployability due to service-connected disabilities before this date and there was no formal claim for TDIU.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus due to new evidence received after the RO's initial decision in January 2020. The Veteran was afforded a hearing where he testified about his symptoms, including intermittent tinnitus during service.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, sleep apnea, TBI, tinnitus, allergic rhinitis, a skin condition, lumbosacral strain, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left knee patellar instability, and bilateral shin splints are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's claims for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, costochondritis, PTSD, and a right knee disability were denied as there was no earlier effective date established.,Entitlement to service connection for these conditions is not granted.

The Board has remanded two issues: a more than 40 percent rating for left knee disability and a more than 10 percent rating for tinnitus, due to inadequate VA examination reports and unclear medical findings.

The Veteran's appeal for separate disability ratings for tinnitus and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and hypertension associated with herbicide agent exposure have been granted. Service connection for vasectomy scar residuals is denied.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for major depressive disorder, an acquired psychiatric disability (to include PTSD), and tinnitus have been granted due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The cases are being remanded for further adjudication.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that these conditions began in service and have continued since.