Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2026

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current tinnitus is at least as likely as not related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for tinnitus was denied as there is no evidence of chronic tinnitus in service or within one year following separation. The Board found the Veteran's statements regarding onset and progression of tinnitus to be inconsistent, and thus not credible.,For the left knee disability, a rating in excess of 10 percent for limitation of flexion was denied as there is no evidence showing flexion limited to 30 degrees or less. A noncompensable rating for limitation of extension was also denied due to lack of evidence showing extension limited to 15 degrees or less.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a failure to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions prior to the rating decision on appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus at an effective date prior to February 5, 2020 is denied.,The Veteran's claim for increased disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss and an effective date prior to February 5, 2020 is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for unspecified depressive disorder with substance use disorder is denied.

The Board has remanded the cases due to potential additional periods of active duty service not previously acknowledged in the record. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and diabetes mellitus type 1 will be reconsidered with this information.

The Veteran's osteoarthritis of the cervical spine with radiculopathy and tinnitus are granted service connection, while his bilateral hearing loss and vertigo secondary to hearing loss are denied. The Veteran is assigned a 10% rating for his lumbar strain.

The Veteran's tinnitus, migraines, left hip osteoarthritis, right hip osteoarthritis, lumbar spondylosis with sacroiliac dysfunction (a lower back disability), left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy are all granted as service connected.,The Veteran's tinnitus, migraines, left hip osteoarthritis, right hip osteoarthritis, lumbar spondylosis with sacroiliac dysfunction (a lower back disability), left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy are all granted as service connected.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but has remanded the issue of service connection for a low back disability due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an effective date prior to May 6, 2021 for service connection for tinnitus and denied his claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a left wrist fracture, bilateral hearing loss, Type II diabetes, bilateral glaucoma, OSA, cervical disc herniation, and other musculoskeletal issues are denied.,Service connection is not established for any of the claimed conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to hazardous noise exposure during his active service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, but granted service connection for tinnitus, left knee degenerative arthritis, right knee meniscus degeneration, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and hypertension.,Service connection was established for all conditions except for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for tinnitus and service connection for hearing loss were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher schedular rating for tinnitus or service connection for hearing loss.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are granted as service connected. The Board is remanding the claims for left elbow, right elbow, right bicep tear, right foot, and left foot disorders due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected, with the decision finding that it likely had onset in service and resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate VA medical opinions regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as a need for further development of evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, left knee osteoarthritis, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU effective February 23, 2024.

The Veteran's TDIU based on migraine disability alone is granted, and he has a single disability rated at 100 percent. He also has other service-connected disabilities independently ratable at 60 percent or more, qualifying him for SMC(s) at the housebound level.