Hearing loss and tinnitus are among the most common VA disability claims, and one of the most frequently underpaid. If your military service exposed you to weapons fire, aircraft noise, blast events, or constant loud equipment, you may be entitled to monthly compensation.

To show hearing loss is connected to your military service, you need three things: a current diagnosis, evidence of noise exposure during service, and medical evidence linking the condition to that exposure.

If you believe your hearing condition is connected to your service or have questions about your VA disability claim, the team at Capovilla & Williams is ready to help. We’re former military lawyers who represent Veterans nationwide with the VA. Call 866-951-0466 or fill out our contact form to discuss your case. There are no out-of-pocket costs for VA disability representation.

Why Are Hearing Loss and Tinnitus So Common in Veterans?

Service members frequently get hearing loss or tinnitus due to weapons fire, jet engines, artillery, tracked vehicles, blast exposure, or any environment where noise levels exceed safe hearing thresholds. Damage to hearing develops gradually, so many Veterans don’t notice the full extent of their hearing loss until years after they separate.

You don’t have to just live with that persistent ringing, buzzing, or hissing in your ears, though. Hearing loss and tinnitus are both recognized, ratable conditions under the VA’s Schedule for Rating Disabilities under 38 C.F.R. Part 4.

• Hearing loss is a measurable reduction in your ability to hear certain sounds or understand speech.
• Tinnitus is the perception of ringing, buzzing, or humming in the ears when no external sound exists.

Unlike hearing loss, tinnitus can’t always be measured through testing. Diagnosis often relies heavily on a Veteran’s reported symptoms and medical evaluation.

What Does It Take to Qualify for VA Disability Benefits?

To receive VA disability benefits for hearing loss or tinnitus, you need to establish three things:

1. An in-service event or exposure, such as documented noise, blast, or other cause during active duty
2. A current, confirmed diagnosis from an audiologist or qualified medical professional
3. A nexus, which is a medical opinion connecting your current condition to that of in-service exposure

Put simply, the VA needs to see a clear line from what happened in service to what’s happening in your ears today. If any of those three elements is weak or missing, the claim is vulnerable.

Do I Have to Prove a Specific Incident Caused My Hearing Loss?

Not necessarily, hearing loss and tinnitus often develop from repeated noise exposure over time, not a single event. The real question is whether military service caused or contributed to the condition.

For example, a Veteran may develop hearing damage after years of exposure to:

• Weapons training and rifle ranges
• Aircraft engines on a flight line
• Artillery or explosions
• Combat operations
• Maintenance work around heavy equipment

In other words, the VA often looks at the overall conditions of service, including the type of job a Veteran performed.

When Does the Diagnosis Have to Happen?

Many hearing conditions develop gradually and may not be diagnosed until years after your service ended.

We often hear from Veterans concerned about timing. They assume that the condition must be diagnosed during active duty. However, that’s not required.

For example:

• A Veteran may experience mild symptoms during service but never seek treatment
• Hearing loss may worsen over time
• Tinnitus may become noticeable only after leaving the military

As long as the evidence you provide to the VA shows that the condition likely began during service or resulted from service exposure, your claim may still qualify.

Who Has to Make the Diagnosis?

For hearing loss claims, medical evidence is generally in the form of a test performed by a licensed audiologist.

The evaluation must include:

• A puretone audiometry test (measuring how faint a sound must be before you can detect it)
• The Maryland CNC speech discrimination test (measuring how well you understand spoken words)

These tests must meet specific VA standards to be used in rating decisions.

Tinnitus claims may rely more heavily on:

• A Veteran’s description of symptoms
• A medical provider’s diagnosis
• A Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam conducted by the VA

If the C&P examiner’s opinion is unfavorable or inadequate, you can challenge it. An independent nexus letter from a qualified medical professional can make the difference between an approval and a denial.

How Does the VA Rate Hearing Loss?

The VA doesn’t rate hearing loss on a simple decibel scale. It uses a grid system built into 38 CFR § 4.85.

Here’s how it works:

1. Your audiologist’s two test results (puretone threshold average and speech discrimination score) are cross-referenced on VA Table VI or Via.
2. Those scores result in a Roman numeral designation (I through XI) for each ear.
3. The Roman numerals for both ears are then combined using Table VII to determine a final disability percentage.

Each ear is evaluated separately. Even if only one ear is service-connected, you can still receive a rating. Below is a simplified table of how combined Roman numeral scores translate to ratings.

Simplified hearing loss rating table:

The actual tables used for rating hearing loss are much more granular and detailed. This nuance is why experienced representation matters. A claim framed incorrectly can result in a lower Roman numeral designation and a lower rating than you’ve actually earned.

How Does the VA Rate Tinnitus? 

Tinnitus is rated separately under Diagnostic Code 6260. The VA assigns a flat 10% rating for recurrent tinnitus, regardless of whether the ringing is in one ear, both ears, or perceived in the head.

Essentially, 10% is both the floor and the ceiling for tinnitus under the current rating schedule. That 10% can be combined with a hearing loss rating, however, and together they can result in meaningful monthly compensation.

Note on Tinnitus Rating Changes: In February 2022, the VA issued a proposal to eliminate the standalone 10% tinnitus rating and require a hearing loss condition to get compensation for tinnitus. As of March 2026, this proposal has not yet taken effect, so at Capovilla & Williams, we continue to file standalone 10% claims under current law.

What About Secondary Conditions?

Hearing loss and tinnitus can cause or contribute to other conditions that the VA may also rate. If constant ringing is disrupting your sleep, causing irritability, or contributing to depression or anxiety, those secondary conditions may be separately ratable.

The combined disability rating isn’t a simple addition. The VA uses a combined ratings formula, but secondary conditions can push your total rating meaningfully higher.

How Should Hearing Conditions Be Documented?

Important documentation for a hearing loss or tinnitus rating from the VA includes:

• Service treatment records showing audiograms, hearing complaints, or documented noise exposure
• Your military occupational specialty (MOS)—infantry, aviation, artillery, and armor are among the MOSs the VA recognizes as high-noise
• Buddy statements from fellow service members who can attest to shared noise exposure
• An independent nexus letter from a medical professional connecting your condition to your service

Documentation is where many claims succeed or fail. The VA wants a paper trail. The stronger yours is, the stronger your claim. If your records are incomplete, it doesn’t mean automatic denial, but you need someone who knows how to fill the gaps.

What If the VA Denied Your Claim or Gave You a Low Rating?

Denial or a lower-than-deserved rating isn’t the end of the road. Veterans have several options:

• Supplemental Claim (submit new and relevant evidence)
• Higher-Level Review (request a senior VA adjudicator review the existing record)
• Board of Veterans’ Appeals (escalate to a Veterans Law Judge)

An independent nexus letter, a stronger audiological evaluation, or buddy statements you didn’t include the first time can all change the outcome.

What Benefits Can Veterans Receive for Hearing Disabilities?

If the VA grants your claim for hearing loss or tinnitus, you may qualify for several benefits:

• Monthly disability compensation
• VA medical care
• Hearing aids through the VA healthcare system
• Access to additional benefits depending on combined disability ratings

Even a 0 percent rating can be important because it formally establishes service connection and allows a Veteran to seek increased compensation if the condition worsens.

How Capovilla & Williams Helps Veterans with Hearing Loss and Tinnitus Claims

We’re former military lawyers. We’ve been on the inside of this system, and we know how it works. More importantly, we know where it fails Veterans. Our team handles VA disability claims and appeals nationwide, with dedicated staff who work with medical records and VA regulatory requirements every day.

We’ll review your service history and medical records, identify the strongest grounds for your claim, help you prepare for your C&P exam, and fight back if the VA gets it wrong.

There is no out-of-pocket cost to you. Our fees come from any back pay awarded if your claim is successful.

If your hearing was damaged by your service, you may be entitled to monthly compensation. Call 866-951-0466 or contact us via our consultation form to talk through your situation.

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