Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the claims for tinea pedis, allergic rhinosinusitis, back disorder, bilateral leg disorder, benign prostatic hypertrophy, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, skin disorder (including a rash on the legs and buttocks), and hypertension due to incomplete VA treatment records and inadequate medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for hearing loss of the right ear. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding TMD, to include as secondary to service-connected insomnia.

The Board has dismissed all claims related to service connection for various disabilities, as the Veteran died during the appeal process.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination opinions and new evidence, including a September 2020 private opinion from the Veteran's audiologist.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety or depressive disorder), cervical spine disability, and lumbar spine disability due to a lack of current diagnosis and insufficient evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete medical records and errors in the evaluation of the Veteran's hearing loss. The Veteran will need to provide additional medical records, including those from an ENT specialist, and a new examination will be scheduled.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic pharyngotonsillitis is rated at 10 percent since April 22, 2016. His bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable.,The Board has remanded the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him incapable of securing or following a substantially gainful occupation from August 10, 2009, to July 24, 2010.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has been denied. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for PN of both upper and lower extremities due to lack of sufficient evidence.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 20% prior to November 24, 2021. From November 24, 2021 through July 18, 2022, the Veteran received a 30% rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The claim is denied from July 19, 2022 onwards.

The Board has remanded the case due to inconsistencies in medical opinions and further development is needed.

The Board has remanded the claim for bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient compliance with prior remands and the need for a supplemental opinion.

The Board has granted a TDIU effective December 8, 2011. The issue of entitlement to a higher disability rating for PTSD prior to December 8, 2011 is remanded.

The Board has granted the appellant's appeal, finding that his character of discharge from military service is no longer a bar to receiving VA benefits. As a result, he is now eligible for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss was denied prior to May 6, 2022 and from May 6, 2022. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease and prostate cancer are presumed to be caused by herbicide exposure in service, specifically Agent Orange. Bilateral hearing loss is also granted.,Service connection for a right groin scar secondary to prostate cancer is remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is at least as likely as not related to his military service, granting service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that his hearing acuity does not warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for Graves' disease, left foot plantar fascitis and idiopathic peripheral neuropathy (to include as secondary to Graves' disease), gastrointestinal disorder (to include as secondary to Graves' disease), heart disorder, and right ear hearing loss have all been denied. The Board found no evidence of current symptoms or service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently manifested by no worse than Level I hearing acuity in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable disability rating. The Board denied the claim for an increased rating as there was not substantial evidence to support a compensable rating.