Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to when the condition manifested during active military service.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and diabetes mellitus were denied. The Board found no evidence to support a nexus between the conditions and active service.

The Veteran's keratoconus is granted a 10 percent rating effective March 4, 2016. His bilateral hearing loss remains noncompensable.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to in-service acoustic trauma, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has referred the issues of service connection for various disabilities to the AOJ for adjudication. The AOJ must address these intertwined claims before determining whether the appellant can be considered a veteran.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically persistent depressive disorder, is granted as service connected.,PTSD was denied due to lack of diagnosis during the appeal period.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that a compensable rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and multiple radiculopathies, have rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment since March 9, 2017.

The Board found no evidence of a permanent significant threshold shift in the Veteran's hearing corresponding to his periods of service, and concluded that there is no persuasive evidence linking his current bilateral hearing loss to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability but remanded the issue of service connection for rectal cancer due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that he does not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU.,The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to September 22, 2017.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete audiogram records, and further development is needed before a decision can be made on service connection for right ear hearing loss.

The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and whether any psychiatric disability is related to his service-connected hearing loss. The appeal for an increased rating remains pending.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and TDIU due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current hearing loss and in-service noise exposure. The case will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability and headache disability is being remanded due to insufficient evidence. The Board found that the Veteran does not have current hearing loss or headache disabilities as defined by VA regulations, thus denying service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been withdrawn. The remaining issues are being remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional evidence related to the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected.,Service connection for right ear hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, headaches, and TBI were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss or sufficient evidence to establish entitlement to service connection for these conditions. For headaches, the Veteran was granted an initial non-compensable rating but denied higher ratings. For TBI, the Veteran's claim was denied as his symptoms did not warrant higher than 10 percent ratings.