Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate examination and failure to consider the Veteran's reports of pre-service noise exposure. The case will be returned to the RO for further development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of a chronic disease in service and no continuity of symptomatology from service to diagnosis. The Board also found that the Veteran's hearing loss is not related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions and a compensable rating have been dismissed due to his death.

Your appeals regarding bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.

The Veteran withdrew the appeals regarding service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, resulting in their dismissal.

The Board has dismissed all appeals regarding the Veteran's service-connected conditions as they are not currently in a position to make decisions due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis, effective October 1, 2012, finding that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable prior to January 30, 2020.

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

The Veteran's TDIU claim has been granted. The Board also remanded several issues for further development, including the rating of his right knee and left shoulder disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not begin during service or is otherwise related to his military service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete evidence and will provide a new VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right ear hearing loss.

The Board has remanded several issues for further examination and opinion, including service connection for hypertension, heart disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, depression, and anxiety. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is denied as not related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand three of the Veteran's claims: initial rating for a psychiatric disability, initial compensable rating for right ear hearing loss, and TDIU. The decision also notes that there may be relevant SSA records not yet associated with the file.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran has a current disability of tinnitus and there is an in-service event, as he was exposed to hazardous noise during his active duty as an aircraft fueler. The Board resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran and grants service connection.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The VA examiner found that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss, as his hearing thresholds do not meet the criteria for a disability under VA regulations.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right leg neurological condition (right leg disability) is denied. There is no evidence of a current diagnosis related to a right leg neurological condition and has not had one at any time during the pendency of the claim.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability is remanded. The VA examiner found that the Veteran does not have a definitive diagnosis related to his right shoulder disability, and further examination is needed to determine if his pain in his right shoulder has caused a functional impairment.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back condition is remanded. The January 2018 VA medical opinion found that the Veteran's in-service low back strain is unrelated to the Veteran's current degenerative disc disease, as strains do not cause degenerative disc disease (DDD).,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability is remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability is remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and medical opinions regarding service connection for tinnitus, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for rheumatoid arthritis, bilateral hearing loss, and chronic dry mouth due to potential service connection issues related to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability due to inadequate medical opinion and need for further development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, ulcers, and sleep apnea. The evidence does not support a finding of current disabilities or a link to service.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) and Total Disability Rating Based Upon Individual Unemployability due to Service-Connected Disabilities (TDIU).,The Veteran's last day of substantially gainful employment was May 11, 2015. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU prior to this date.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU as his service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.