Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2026

The Board has dismissed the issue of rating tinnitus in excess of 10 percent. The claim for service connection for heart disease is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a lack of proper notification and examination. The Veteran is not entitled to service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, rhinitis, sinusitis, anxiety, mood disorder, depression, or nightmares as there are no confirmed diagnoses at any point during her appeal period.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, peripheral neuropathy, diabetes, hypertension, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the combined rating of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD alone precluded him from securing or following any substantially gainful employment, and he is granted TDIU. He also meets the criteria for SMC at the housebound rate due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied initial compensable ratings for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for tinnitus, finding no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a causal relationship to military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that there is no current disability of tinnitus and the evidence does not meet the criteria for a tinnitus diagnosis.

The Veteran's service connection claim for tinnitus is granted, as the Board finds that his current tinnitus is related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for special monthly compensation based on housebound status being met is denied.,The rating reduction of right knee strain with tendonitis, ligament tear, osteoarthritis, patellofemoral pain syndrome, and degenerative arthritis from 60 percent disabling to 10 percent disabling effective September 14, 2022 was granted.,The discontinuance of special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance with activities and hazards of daily living effective May 1, 2024 is granted.,The discontinuance of special monthly compensation based upon loss of use of the left lower extremity above the knee effective May 1, 2024 is granted.,The discontinuance of an allowance for an automobile or other conveyance, and adaptive equipment, or adaptive equipment only effective May 1, 2024 is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and tinnitus do not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment, thus TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's tinnitus claim is granted. The hearing loss claim is remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions necessitate the need for regular aid and assistance of another individual to perform his activities of daily living, including toileting, bathing, showering, dressing, ambulating within the home or living area, transferring, medication management, cleaning, and feeding himself. The Board has granted special monthly compensation based on this need.

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

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to care for his daily needs, requiring the regular aid and attendance of another person. The Board granted entitlement to SMC benefits based on the need for aid and attendance but dismissed the claim for SMC at the housebound rate as moot.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral knee disability, erectile dysfunction, and tinnitus have been dismissed. Claims for hepatitis C, aortic aneurysm, liver condition, obstructive sleep apnea, and depression are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including TBI, PTSD, migraines, right knee pain, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain gainful employment. The Board has granted a total rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraines was granted with an effective date of June 9, 2021. A 100% rating for PTSD is granted from January 8, 2021 to July 11, 2023. Effective date of January 8, 2021 for DEA benefits and a new effective date for SMC is also granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and allergic rhinitis are denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches, to include as due to herbicide exposure, is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include insomnia), bilateral plantar fasciitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome (left).

The Board has remanded the claims for liver disorders, gastric varices, rheumatoid arthritis, sleep apnea, and tinnitus due to a lack of current disability evidence. The Veteran's service participation in TERA is recognized.

The Board has determined that new evidence received since the April 2019 rating decision warrants readjudication of the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's exposure to hazardous noise during service is now considered, but a VA opinion is needed to address whether his current hearing loss is related to this exposure.