Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Board has found new and relevant evidence in support of the Veteran's previously denied service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss. The case is being remanded to readjudicate the appeal on the merits.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in the decision and a need for a new medical opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate etiology opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran seeks service connection for this condition, which is presumed to have developed as a result of in-service noise exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for sinusitis on a presumptive basis. The remaining issues have been remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to service, leading to a grant of service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted service connection. The left shoulder, right ankle, and left knee disabilities are denied as not related to service.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss claim is denied as he does not have a current disability for VA purposes.,The Veteran's right elbow disability and obstructive sleep apnea claims are remanded due to insufficient evidence of service connection.,No effective date provided.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The effective date of October 4, 2017, for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted. An earlier effective date prior to August 31, 2006, for the grant of service connection for a trauma disorder with depressive disorder is denied. The claims are remanded for further development and readjudication.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied, and the Board has remanded the issue of service connection for migraine headaches due to insufficient evidence regarding their relationship to tinnitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that his current hearing acuity did not warrant such a rating based on VA audiological examination results.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and cervical spine disability as secondary to a service-connected condition have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of current disabilities or in-service events that would support these claims.,Specifically, the VA examiner indicated that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes, tinnitus due to an in-service disease, injury, or event, and cervical spine disability as secondary to his service-connected left clavicle fracture. The Board found that the Veteran's claims were denied based on lack of evidence supporting these conditions.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is dismissed as his sole service-connected disability, Meniere's syndrome with left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, already grants him a 100% schedular rating. The back disorder issue is remanded for further development.

The appeal for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is dismissed. The claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (to include PTSD) has been reopened, but the rating for degenerative joint disease of lumbar spine with spondylosis remains remanded.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The issue of secondary service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to tinnitus is remanded.

Service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is granted. Service connection for a bilateral eye disorder is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to the Veteran's request for withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there is no evidence of a current disability under VA guidelines.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is rated at 40 percent since February 15, 2018. The decision also remanded the issue of a total disability rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU).

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic rhinitis, sinus problems, lung spots, bilateral hearing loss, left lower extremity neuropathy, left upper extremity neuropathy, right upper extremity neuropathy, right ankle disorder, sleep apnea, and TBI.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, with a numeric designation of Level II in the right ear and Level III in the left ear. The Board found that this level does not warrant an initial compensable disability rating.