BVA decisions by condition
Tinnitus: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a tinnitus issue in 63,997 decisions. It granted the tinnitus issue in 41.1% of them, above the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 25.5%, and remanded it in 23.3%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 61.7% were granted.
From Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions: appeals, not VA's first decisions. Issue-level outcomes.
Decisions
63,997
2017–2026
Granted
41.1%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
61.7%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
23.3%
Denied: 25.5%
At a glance
Evidence in granted and denied tinnitus decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the tinnitus issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lay statement | 52,020 | 64.8% | 34.0% | +30.9 pts |
| Positive nexus opinion | 11,657 | 77.6% | 57.0% | +20.6 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 3,357 | 81.1% | 60.8% | +20.3 pts |
| Buddy statement | 1,816 | 76.9% | 61.2% | +15.7 pts |
| Combat service | 5,654 | 75.5% | 60.1% | +15.4 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 6,361 | 72.0% | 60.3% | +11.7 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 1,716 | 70.9% | 61.4% | +9.5 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 17,674 | 67.1% | 59.2% | +7.9 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 83.5% of the decisions that granted tinnitus.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 77.7% of grants and 12.9% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often tinnitus was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative nexus opinion | 39,101 | 66.8% | 50.0% | +16.8 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 49,252 | 63.2% | 52.4% | +10.8 pts |
Recent tinnitus decisions
Granted
Continuity of symptomatology since service; Presumed incurred in service; Positive treating physician opinion; Inadequate VA opinion
Current disability with onset in service; Related to in-service noise exposure; Hazardous noise exposure conceded due to MOS; Benefit of the doubt resolved in veteran's favor
Veteran's credible testimony of in-service onset and continuity of tinnitus; AOJ conceded in-service acoustic noise trauma; AOJ conceded current diagnosis of tinnitus
Denied
Maximum schedular rating for tinnitus is 10 percent per DC 6260; Federal Circuit precedent (Smith v. Nicholson) supports single rating limit; No legal basis for rating in excess of 10 percent
Denied as secondary to denied migraines/headaches; No current migraines/headaches established
Service records negative for tinnitus complaints; Veteran repeatedly denied tinnitus during examinations; Evidence persuasively weighs against service connection
Tinnitus claimed as a secondary condition
Decisions where tinnitus was claimed as secondary to another service-connected disability (38 CFR 3.310), by that disability.
Conditions claimed secondary to tinnitus
Other conditions veterans claimed as caused or aggravated by tinnitus, with how often the Board granted them.
- Migraine secondary to tinnitus1,013 decisions · 31.9% granted
- Sleep apnea secondary to tinnitus632 decisions · 20.7% granted
- Peripheral vestibular disorders secondary to tinnitus579 decisions · 12.6% granted
- Hearing loss secondary to tinnitus396 decisions · 13.6% granted
- Major depressive disorder secondary to tinnitus384 decisions · 43.0% granted
Tinnitus outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 3,699 | 34.0% | 21.9% | 29.0% | 15.1% |
| 2018 | 7,766 | 38.3% | 26.6% | 24.0% | 11.1% |
| 2019 | 9,527 | 39.1% | 29.6% | 22.8% | 8.5% |
| 2020 | 7,465 | 38.2% | 28.1% | 24.0% | 9.7% |
| 2021 | 5,455 | 39.4% | 23.4% | 25.0% | 12.1% |
| 2022 | 6,176 | 43.0% | 21.4% | 24.0% | 11.7% |
| 2023 | 6,831 | 39.9% | 23.3% | 24.1% | 12.8% |
| 2024 | 8,263 | 42.6% | 25.5% | 20.1% | 11.9% |
| 2025 | 8,478 | 37.7% | 30.2% | 19.6% | 12.5% |
| 2026 | 3,300 | 44.6% | 26.5% | 15.7% | 13.2% |
Each row counts issues (each condition the Board decided), so the shares add up to 100%. Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome. Years with fewer than 50 issues are left out.
Why the Board granted or denied tinnitus
Most common reasons in grants
- In-service noise exposure conceded3,701
- Current diagnosis established3,560
- Continuity of symptomatology since service2,001
- Service records negative or silent368
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service268
- Caused by the service-connected disability266
- Tinnitus capable of lay observation259
- Criteria for service connection met214
Most common reasons in denials
- Already at the maximum schedular rating3,113
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service2,654
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis1,746
- Service records negative or silent1,537
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim954
- No legal basis for a higher rating707
- No current diagnosis479
- No continuity of symptomatology471
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
How the Board rates tinnitus
The Board decided 15,786 tinnitus rating issues from 2017 to 2026: it granted a higher rating in 22%, denied one in 45% and sent 19% back for a new exam or more records.
By diagnostic code
The codes the Board rated tinnitus under, most used first. “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands. The last column is the percent the Board assigned most often when it granted a higher rating.
| Code | Issues | Granted on the merits | Remanded | Most common rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6260Tinnitus, recurrent | 3,620 | 3.0% | 2.2% | 10% (97% of grants) |
11,993 issues named no diagnostic code, most of them remands.
Ratings the Board assigned
Share of each percent among the 107 grants that stated one.
- 0%2.8%
- 10%77.6%
- 20%0.9%
- 30%7.5%
- 50%2.8%
- 60%1.9%
- 70%2.8%
- 100%3.7%
Why the Board granted a higher rating
- benefit of the doubt / evidence in equipoise1,931
- criteria for the rating met or more nearly approximated167
- current diagnosis of tinnitus78
- continuity of symptomatology established55
- conceded in-service noise exposure47
- resolving doubt in veteran's favor43
Why the Board denied one
- already at the maximum schedular rating2,946
- criteria for a higher rating not met846
- extraschedular consideration774
- no legal basis for higher rating367
- tinnitus rated under dc 626074
- va examiner opined less likely than not related to service73
Evidence in rating grants and denials
How often the Board granted a higher tinnitus rating on the merits when the decision mentioned each kind of evidence, against decisions that did not. Associations, not causes.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lay statement | 11,467 | 38.8% | 12.5% | +26.3 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 1,982 | 46.9% | 30.7% | +16.2 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 495 | 43.7% | 32.8% | +10.9 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 4,318 | 38.9% | 30.6% | +8.3 pts |
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unfavorable VA exam | 11,014 | 36.2% | 21.5% | +14.8 pts |
The Board applied the benefit of the doubt (38 CFR 3.102) in 77.9% of the decisions that granted a higher rating.
Recent rating decisions
Higher rating granted
Current disability with onset in service; Related to in-service noise exposure; Hazardous noise exposure conceded due to MOS; Benefit of the doubt resolved in veteran's favor
VA examiner's opinion inadequate for failing to address in-service onset; Veteran's lay statements regarding tinnitus onset found credible; Service connection granted based on credible lay evidence and inadequate VA opinion
Veteran credibly reported in-service noise exposure; Veteran credibly reported tinnitus onset in service; Resolved doubt in veteran's favor
Denied
Veteran already receives maximum schedular rating for tinnitus.; March 2025 VA exam reported intermittent symptoms.; DC 6260 provides a single 10 percent rating for tinnitus.
Veteran already receiving schedular maximum rating of 10 percent; No manifestations warranting a higher rating
Current 10 percent rating is the maximum allowed; Evidence did not support higher rating
How VA rates tinnitus
Once service connection is granted, VA assigns a disability rating from the rating schedule, 38 CFR 4.87, diagnostic code 6260 (Tinnitus, recurrent). The rating is the same whether the condition is service connected directly or as secondary to another disability.
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 10% | Tinnitus, recurrent |
- Note (1): A separate evaluation for tinnitus may be combined with an evaluation under diagnostic codes 6100, 6200, 6204, or other diagnostic code, except when tinnitus supports an evaluation under one of those diagnostic codes.
- Note (2): Assign only a single evaluation for recurrent tinnitus, whether the sound is perceived in one ear, both ears, or in the head.
- Note (3): Do not evaluate objective tinnitus (in which the sound is audible to other people and has a definable cause that may or may not be pathologic) under this diagnostic code, but evaluate it as part of any underlying condition causing it.
Text of 38 CFR 4.87 as of Feb 27, 2026. Confirm the current text at the source before relying on it.
Rules that apply to tinnitus claims
- 38 CFR 4.87 · DC 6260
Schedule of ratings: ear
Read it in VA Law Explorer - M21-1 V.iii.2.B.1
Service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, incl. Guard and Reserve duty
Read it in VA Law Explorer - M21-1 V.iii.2.B.3
Tinnitus: sympathetic reading, medical opinions, liberalizing provisions
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your tinnitus case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a tinnitus issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.
Where this data comes from
- Claim
- Regional office decides
- Veteran appeals
- Board decides
- Granted · Denied · Remanded: back to the regional office
Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions show how VA's highest review body applies 38 CFR and weighs evidence on contested claims.
Each one is an appeal: a regional office decided the claim first, and the veteran appealed. So these rates describe the Board, not a veteran's odds at the regional office, where most claims are decided and whose decisions are not public.
More on what Board decisions can and cannot tell you