Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2026

The Veteran's claims for tinnitus, low back disability, bilateral foot disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability are being remanded due to the inability to obtain relevant private treatment records. The Veteran will be notified of the issue with his authorization and given an opportunity to provide new information or submit the records himself.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the appellant's current disabilities are related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's recurrent tinnitus began during his active service or within one year of separation from service. The decision is based on the Veteran's reports and the lack of evidence contradicting this claim.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and depressive disorder due to medical condition, both of which are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee degenerative joint disease and lumbosacral strain.

A disability rating greater than 10 percent for tinnitus is denied. An earlier effective date prior to April 5, 2023, for the grant of service connection for tinnitus is also denied.,Service connection for right ear hearing loss is granted. Service connection for left lower extremity nerve condition, lumbar spine disability, and obstructive sleep apnea are all denied.,The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is related to in-service acoustic trauma. The Board finds the evidence of record establishes that his right ear hearing loss is related to service.,There is no current diagnosis for a left lower extremity nerve condition, lumbar spine disability, or obstructive sleep apnea. Service connection cannot be granted as there are no diagnosed disabilities eligible for VA compensation.,The Veteran's right lower extremity nerve condition is remanded and requires an opinion regarding its relationship to service. Toxic exposures in-service may be a factor.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is denied, but the Board notes that toxic exposures in-service may be relevant.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus as secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise and therefore granting this aspect of the claim.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, effective December 16, 2022. The Veteran's tinnitus is assigned the maximum rating possible under the rating schedule.,The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for left shoulder condition, low back strain, and right first (index) finger condition.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, finding that the evidence does not support a finding of continuity of symptomatology and thus the criteria for service connection are not met.

The Board has already granted the requested earlier effective dates for the service connection of tinnitus, tension headaches, left knee strain, right hip strain (flexion, extension, and impairment), and left hip strain (flexion, extension, and impairment) in a previous decision. Therefore, this appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him in need of aid and attendance, as he requires assistance with activities such as bathing, dressing, personal hygiene, medication management, and housekeeping/laundry due to his TBI, PTSD, OSA, headaches, lumbar spine disability, arthritis, and severe chronic back pain. The Board has granted special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis had its onset during his military service due to noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the decision on appeal was not legally adequate and requires remand for further action, including obtaining a medical opinion from the Centralized Eligibility and Appeals Team (CEAT) regarding personal care services needs and supervision requirements. The AOJ must also provide compliant notice under 38 U.S.C. § 5104.

The Board has denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, substance abuse disorders, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an extraschedular total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to July 19, 2019, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a reduction in rating for bilateral hearing loss from 10% to 0%, and for a rating in excess of 10% for tinnitus. The decision found that the evidence showed improvement in the Veteran's ability to function under ordinary conditions, which supported reducing the rating for bilateral hearing loss. For tinnitus, the maximum schedular rating was assigned, making any increase not warranted.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for a right knee disability due to errors in the AOJ's decision. The Veteran is seeking service connection for various conditions including generalized anxiety disorder, tinnitus, chronic sinusitis, and cervical strain.

The Veteran's tinnitus and unspecified anxiety disorder are granted as service-connected. The Board found that the Veteran had in-service noise exposure leading to tinnitus, and a stressor related event for his anxiety disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the issue of a compensable rating for GERD.

The Veteran's PTSD and tinnitus are currently rated at the maximum schedular ratings, with no further increase granted. The appeal for higher ratings is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have caused severe impairment requiring the regular aid and attendance of his wife to protect him from daily hazards, with the first indications documented in a March 20, 2016 statement. The Board granted SMC based on this need starting from March 20, 2016.