Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inconsistencies in the medical records and need for additional opinions regarding the etiology of left ear conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to active service or within one year of discharge.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's reports of noise exposure during service. The claim will be reviewed again with a new opinion from an examiner.

The Veteran's appeal for initial compensable ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was denied. The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss is rated at Level I, which corresponds to a noncompensable rating, and his tinnitus is already at its maximum schedular rating of 10 percent.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to have started during service and the Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected, with the Board finding that these conditions are related to his in-service duties as a helicopter pilot.

The Board dismissed the appeals regarding earlier effective dates for service connection of tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss as the Veteran did not timely file a VA Form 10182, which was required to opt into the modernized appeal system.

The Board has remanded the case due to inconsistencies in the opinion regarding the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and its relation to service. The examiner is asked to provide an addendum that discusses whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran’s left ear hearing loss had an onset during service, within one year of discharge, or is causally or etiologically due to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection of tinnitus and hearing loss are denied as there is no evidence of a formal or informal claim prior to May 23, 2017.

The Board denied a compensable rating for the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss, finding that his hearing acuity did not meet the criteria for any higher rating based on audiometric testing results.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for upper respiratory conditions, pulmonary conditions, and gastrointestinal conditions due to lack of a VA examination. The heart disability and sleep apnea claims have been denied.

The Board has remanded the claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss disability due to inadequate examination and lack of VA protocols in audiometric evaluations.

The Board denied an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current noncompensable rating adequately reflects his decreased hearing acuity and difficulty understanding speech.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability or chronicity within one year of separation from service. The Board also found that the Veteran did not provide sufficient evidence to establish an in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.

The Board has withdrawn the appeal regarding whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The issue of service connection for migraine headaches, which was previously denied, is being remanded due to insufficient medical opinion.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for his left ear hearing loss disability and has remanded the case for a rating decision on his right ear hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 60 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The examiner is requested to provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran’s hearing loss originated during or is otherwise etiologically related to his military service.