Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2026

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of tinnitus is granted, as the condition was present at the time he filed his initial claim on October 7, 2019. The proper effective date is set to this filing date.

The appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is dismissed as the Veteran was granted service connection effective from the date of his claim.,Service connection for bilateral tinnitus is denied.

The Veteran's travel expenses for an audiology appointment on November 6, 2025 are approved as the treatment was for a service-connected disability.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The issue of service connection for sleep apnea, which is secondary to allergic rhinitis or PTSD, is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was reopened and granted with an effective date of March 26, 2019. The Board is remanding the case to address a potential clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in the March 1, 2014 rating decision that denied service connection.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted a compensable evaluation of 10% effective September 9, 2019. The decision also denied any request for an increased evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted. The Board has remanded the cases of IVDS, BLE radiculopathy, cervical spine mass, BUE radiculopathy, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Veteran's VR&E services were denied as his reason for discontinuance of the program has not been removed, despite showing progress in therapy and treatment. The Board found that he did not meet the criteria to set aside the previous closure.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, and tinnitus. The Board found that there was no evidence of in-service onset or relationship to service for these conditions.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of July 26, 2017 for the award of TDIU due to service-connected psychiatric disability and an earlier effective date of November 9, 2018 for the award of SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render her unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that his symptoms are related to noise exposure during active service and resolving reasonable doubt in his favor.

The Veteran's eligibility for enrollment in the VA Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) is remanded due to a lack of clinical evidence supporting his need for personal care services, supervision or instruction. The Board finds that the medical opinion upon which the denial was based is legally inadequate and requires further review.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is denied, as the evidence does not support a higher rating under the applicable criteria. The claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is also denied due to lack of evidence supporting a higher rating based on audiometric results. Service connection for hypertension and bilateral foot fungus are granted with effective dates from May 19, 2020, to August 9, 2022, respectively. The Veteran's claims for service connection regarding left knee pain (status post arthroscopy), right knee pain (status post arthroscopy), low back disability (degenerative arthritis of the spine), left shoulder pain, and right shoulder pain are all granted with effective dates from August 10, 2022. The Veteran's claims for service connection regarding left leg shooting pain and radiculopathy secondary to low back disability and right leg shooting pain and radiculopathy secondary to low back disability remain pending.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including a psychiatric condition and various musculoskeletal issues, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment during the appeal period.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that his current condition had its initial onset during active service and is related to noise exposure he experienced during service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, and his TDIU claim is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of TDIU effective May 25, 2019.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for higher ratings of tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and right shoulder disability. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus Type II is granted as secondary to his service-connected musculoskeletal disabilities.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected migraine headaches and tinnitus, finding that the evidence supports a link between these conditions.