Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has increased in severity since his last VA examination, and a new VA examination is needed to determine the current severity of his disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss as he does not have a current disability of right ear hearing loss for VA purposes.

The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss, colon disability, and bowel disability. The claims are being remanded for these purposes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is at least as likely as not related to his in-service noise exposure, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, effective from the date of remand. The Board also granted a TDIU from February 1, 2015 due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected. The Board found that the Veteran had noise exposure during service, which is sufficient to establish a nexus between his current conditions and service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, bilateral hearing loss, a left shoulder disability, and prostate cancer due to the NOD being untimely.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of right-ear hearing loss disability has been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, when combined, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since January 1, 2016.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, right knee joint osteoarthritis, left knee joint osteoarthritis, right hip joint osteoarthritis, and left hip joint osteoarthritis have all been denied as there is no evidence showing these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.,The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine are not supported by competent medical evidence linking his current disabilities to service, including exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's claims for increased hearing loss and service connection for supraventricular tachycardia are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is service connected. The low back disability issue, including whether it is secondary to a service-connected right knee disability, needs further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete medical records and lack of authorization for VA to request private treatment records. The Veteran is requested to provide additional information regarding his in-service motor vehicle accident, post-service employment exposure, and prison medical history.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was evaluated as Level I in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable rating. The Board found the evidence did not warrant an initial compensable rating for her bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for VA audiograms from specific dates, as these are necessary to properly evaluate the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to uncertainty in the audiometric test results and threshold shifts between entry and separation from service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inaccurate medical opinion regarding the relationship between bilateral hearing loss and service. Additional development is needed, including a new VA medical opinion.

The appeal with respect to radiculopathy of the left lower extremity is dismissed. The previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for a back disability is reopened, and the issue remains on remand. Entitlement to a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is also on remand.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the Veteran's hearing acuity did not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating under Diagnostic Code 6100. The claims for increased ratings for arthritis of the lumbar spine, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy were remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient rationale in previous opinions and the need for additional evidence.