Serving in the military can expose service members to loud noises that can cause hearing damage, such as tinnitus. Gunfire, explosions, and aircraft engines can cause military personnel to develop tinnitus. Veterans with service-connected tinnitus may become eligible for disability benefits from the VA.
What Is Tinnitus and Why Is It Common Among Veterans?
Tinnitus is a condition in which a person hears a constant sound in one or both ears despite the lack of an external sound. Some of the phantom noises that people with tinnitus report hearing include ringing, buzzing, clicking, hissing, or humming. The sounds caused by tinnitus may come and go, or a person may hear sounds 24/7. The sound can range in volume from barely noticeable to so loud that it interferes with a person’s ability to hear other sounds or concentrate.
Although tinnitus can develop due to age-related hearing loss or an underlying medical condition, some people develop tinnitus due to ear injury or hearing damage from loud noises. As a result, tinnitus represents a common condition experienced by military veterans due to the numerous loud noises that servicemembers hear during service, such as gunfire, heavy machinery, aircraft engines, or explosions. Even when the military issues protective equipment to servicemembers, personnel may forget to wear earplugs or other protective equipment, or the equipment may fail to protect a servicemember’s hearing fully.
How the VA Rates Tinnitus
The VA assesses service-connected disabilities by assigning a percentage rating, which reflects the severity of the condition and how much it impairs a veteran’s professional and social functioning. The VA’s Schedule for Rating Disabilities recognizes tinnitus under diagnostic code 6260. The VA always rates tinnitus alone at a 10 percent rating, regardless of whether a veteran experiences tinnitus in one or both ears. The VA limits disability ratings for tinnitus because of its subjective nature, which precludes medical professionals from objectively evaluating the severity of the condition beyond a veteran’s subjective complaints.
Can You Get More Than a 10 Percent Rating for Tinnitus?
Although a veteran can only receive a 10 percent rating for tinnitus alone, a veteran may combine a tinnitus diagnosis with other primary service-connected conditions or secondary conditions caused by tinnitus, including dizziness, chronic suppurative otitis media, hearing loss, traumatic brain injury, or anxiety. When a veteran has two or more service-connected conditions, they can obtain a combined rating based on a formula.
Evidence Needed to Support a Tinnitus Claim
Veterans who file VA disability benefits claims for tinnitus must include evidence to establish an official diagnosis of the condition and to connect it to their military service. Examples of evidence needed for tinnitus claims include:
- Service records documenting exposure to loud noises, such as proof of live-fire training, combat, or working around heavy machinery or aircraft engines
- In-service medical records of ear injury
- Medical records containing an official diagnosis of tinnitus
- Buddy statements from fellow servicemembers corroborating service records or testimony about in-service events
- Nexus statements from medical experts connecting tinnitus with military service
Common Challenges in Tinnitus Claims
Difficulties and obstacles that veterans may face in disability benefits claims for tinnitus include:
- The subjective nature of tinnitus can make it challenging to obtain an official diagnosis
- The potential lack of evidence may lead the VA to deny a veteran’s claim even if they experience tinnitus
- The evidence may not conclusively show a connection between a veteran’s military service and their tinnitus, especially if their service did not involve documented exposure to loud noises.
Contact a VA Disability Attorney Today
If you have tinnitus or other hearing problems resulting from incidents during your military service, you may qualify for VA disability. Contact Veterans Law Attorneys today for a free, no-obligation consultation with a VA disability lawyer to learn more about the benefits you might receive for tinnitus caused by your military service.
