From a Chicago, IL VA Attorney: Can I Claim VA Benefits for Hearing Loss or Tinnitus?

The short answer to this question is: yes. However, there is some nuance related to how the VA rates hearing loss and tinnitus.

Even if your hearing loss is enough to bother you, if you are assigned a 0% rating under the Rating Schedule for Hearing Impairments, you won’t be given any benefits. A 0% rating does not mean you’ve suffering no hearing loss: it just means that the VA believes it doesn’t affect your ability to work or perform your daily activities. 

How the Rating Schedule for Hearing Impairments Works

There are two tests that the VA uses. The first is the Puretone Audiometry Test, which measures how well you can hear sounds, measured in decibels, at different frequencies. Each ear is calculated separately. The second test is the Speech Discrimination Test, which measures how well you can understand speech in a quiet environment. The VA combines these two tests to assign a disability rating.As stated above, the VA may give you a 0% rating even if you do have measurable hearing loss, if it believes that your hearing loss is not bad enough. Otherwise, you’ll be given a rating between 10% and 100% based on how severe the hearing impairment is. The VA is somewhat notorious for making it quite difficult to get a rating over 50%.

How the Rating for Tinnitus Works

Tinnitus is a very common issue for service veterans. Unfortunately, the VA has no nuance at all when it comes to tinnitus. If you suffer from tinnitus, no matter how mild or profound, and whether it affects one ear or both, you are simply given a 10% rating on the Rating Schedule for Hearing Impairment under Diagnostic Code 6260.

Establishing a Service Connection for Your Hearing Issues

In addition to qualifying through hearing tests, you must also prove that your hearing loss or tinnitus was caused, or at least aggravated, by your military service. The easiest way to do this is if you can prove a direct connection, such exposure to loud noises like gunfire or explosions.

In some cases, you will be claiming a secondary connection. This means that your military service did not directly cause the hearing loss itself but caused another condition which then caused the hearing loss or tinnitus. For example, if you suffered a concussion and developed tinnitus from it, this would be a secondary connection. Finally, there are some veterans who qualify for a presumptive connection. Presumptive means that the nature of their work while in the military was such that it can be presumed that it caused hearing loss. This is common for those who work with artillery or on aircraft, for instance.For help in strengthening your case for VA benefits, reach out to us now at the Comerford Law Office in Chicago, IL, where we’re dedicated to getting you the benefits you deserve.

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