Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Board denied the reopening of claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus due to lack of new and material evidence, as the appellant's National Guard service from December 1976 to April 1982 was held to be dishonorable.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not result in the need for regular aid and attendance of another person due to resultant helplessness, as his need was caused by a combination of both service-connected and nonservice-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that it is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident during service and did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of separation from active duty.

The Board has denied service connection for soft tissue sarcoma and ALS due to lack of current diagnoses. The hearing loss and tinnitus claims are remanded as there is insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, hypertension, and lupus anti-coagulant syndrome. The decision also noted that the Veteran's left hip disabilities were remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted for right and left elbow strains, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and pseudofolliculitis barbae. The claims of service connection for athlete's foot, diabetes mellitus, and arthritis throughout the body are being remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability with associated left and right lower extremity radiculopathy. The cases of the left wrist disability, to include radial, carpal, and cubital tunnel syndrome, and right ear hearing loss are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a headache disability and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his headaches, as well as further development of his hearing loss and otitis externa.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection and TDIU are remanded due to non-compliance with prior remand directives. The hearing loss claim is denied as there is no evidence of an evaluation in excess of 30 percent.

The Board has remanded the cases of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for right shoulder impingement with rotator cuff tear and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to incomplete development.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions had their onset during active duty service.

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

The Board has remanded the cases for a VA audiology examination to determine if the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, including as due to noise exposure during service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss did not meet the criteria for service connection as it was not shown to be causally or etiologically related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate consideration of continuity of symptomatology and failure to consider relevant audiometric test results. The Veteran's hearing loss is being reviewed again for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings on tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, as well as his TDIU claim, is being remanded due to the need for further medical examination and opinion.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, but remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral knee disability.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied due to lack of evidence linking current hearing loss to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied as there is not sufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility that he is unemployable by reason of his service-connected disabilities, with the primary issue being his nonservice-connected coccidioidomycosis.

The Board found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is not related to his military service, as there was no significant threshold shift in his hearing from enlistment to separation.

The Board dismissed the appeals for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and bilateral cataracts, diabetic retinopathy with macular edema, and hypertensive retinopathy (claimed as issues with vision) due to the death of the appellant.