Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is at least as likely as not related to his military service due to noise exposure from artillery fire.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to noise exposure during his active duty service, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were reopened and granted, with effective dates ranging from November 29, 2016 to the date of the rating decision.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as 20 percent disabling thereafter, but the claim for an initial compensable rating prior to January 4, 2021, and a higher rating thereafter was denied.

The Board has vacated the November 2020 decision regarding a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss, and restored a 30 percent rating from May 16, 2012. The Board also found that a 30 percent rating was warranted as of June 28, 2018.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and TDIU due to service-connected disorders. The AOJ is instructed to obtain additional evidence regarding the Veteran's inservice stressor events and conduct a new VA examination to address the nature and etiology of his acquired psychiatric disorders and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss but remanded the issue of service connection for a neck condition due to potential errors in the separation physical and lack of medical records.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation since March 31, 2012. The Board has granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service exposure to acoustic trauma.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Board found that the evidence does not support an increased rating in excess of 40 percent beginning February 5, 2020 and also did not find any entitlement to a compensable rating prior to this date.

The Veteran's appeals seeking service connection and a rating for his conditions were dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and right ear retracted tympanic membrane.,Right knee and low back disabilities are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss prior to December 10, 2019, and a rating in excess of 10 percent from that date have been denied. The evidence shows no worsening of the Veteran's hearing loss before December 10, 2019, and only a slight increase thereafter.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, expressing satisfaction with the decision and requesting to withdraw all remaining issues in the January 2021 supplemental statement of the case.

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

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate medical opinion and failure to address qualifying or contradictory findings in a relevant study.

The Veteran's initial rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied prior to September 4, 2015. A 100 percent rating has been granted from September 4, 2015 to September 25, 2018.,Service connection for a cervical spine disorder is remanded due to inadequate opinions in the previous VA examinations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is related to his in-service acoustic trauma and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no link between his current condition and his service. The Board also found that the presumption of chronicity did not apply as there is no evidence of sensorineural hearing loss within one year of discharge.