Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to December 10, 2020 is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss from December 10, 2020 is also denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral athletes' foot secondary to his service-connected bilateral pes planus (previously rated as osteoarthritis) is remanded.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a low back disorder and remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss.,Service connection is being remanded for both issues.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete examinations and lack of supporting rationale. The issues include bilateral hearing loss, a back disability, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity (secondary to back disability), and hypertension (secondary to back disability).

The Board has denied service connection for PTSD due to the Veteran not meeting the DSM-5 criteria. The case is remanded for further examination of his right knee and bilateral hearing loss disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes, as his hearing test results were below the threshold requirements set forth in VA regulations. Therefore, service connection is denied.

The Board has determined that the evidence is inadequate to resolve these claims and remanded them for further development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee disability, left knee disability, hearing loss, and tinnitus as there is no evidence of current disabilities related to his active duty.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating prior to March 9, 2016, for service-connected bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional development and an adequate retrospective medical opinion.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or acoustic trauma sufficient to cause these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for eczema of the bilateral lower extremities was denied, and his claim for TDIU prior to May 21, 2019, was also denied.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Board has also remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus and hypertension, as well as the increased rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and service. The Board considered the Veteran's lay reports of noise exposure in service but found them outweighed by the opinions of VA examiners who concluded that the Veteran's hearing loss is less likely related to service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 10 percent, the maximum schedular rating available. The Board found that the current rating adequately reflects the severity and symptomatology of his service-connected hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has not shown to warrant a higher initial rating than 10 percent, as the audiometric test results have consistently indicated levels of hearing impairment that are compatible with this rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of TBI is denied as there is no current diagnosis and the evidence does not support a finding that any current symptoms are related to an in-service injury.,Service connection for sleep apnea is also denied. The Board found that the Veteran's current sleep apnea is not related to his in-service car accident or head injury, and the weight of medical literature does not support a relationship between TBI and obstructive sleep apnea.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded as VA did not obtain an adequate opinion regarding whether pre-existing hearing loss increased during service. The Veteran also has tinnitus which was not addressed in the decision, so this issue is also remanded.,Service connection for tinnitus is denied due to a lack of medical evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, and the Board dismissed the claim as a result.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his active military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no credible medical or lay evidence showing a diagnosis of these conditions during the pendency of the claim.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are related to service. The decision on these issues is pending.

The Veteran's GAD is granted as service connection due to the positive nexus opinion and inadequate negative nexus opinion.,Service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability is denied as there is no evidence of current hearing loss meeting VA criteria.