Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection for low back pain and increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service, and there is no clear evidence of a compensable degree of disability within one year after separation from service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, right knee, right ear hearing loss, and left ear hearing loss disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred in or related to his military service.

The Board has decided that a new VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran has bilateral hearing loss as defined by VA regulations and, if so, whether it is related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and opinion regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy of each lower extremity, as the evidence is not persuasive enough to grant this claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities due to improper handling of his appeal in the legacy system.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including prostate cancer and chronic kidney disease with hypertension, are severe enough to prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. Therefore, the Board has granted a TDIU (Total Disability Rating for Compensation Purposes Based on Individual Unemployability). Basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits is also established.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA audiological opinion to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, including which standard (ASA or ISO-ANSI) was used during his in-service audiograms.

The Board has withdrawn the Veteran's appeal for bilateral knee disabilities and remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is granted as it was shown in service and not attributable to intercurrent causes. The left hand and bilateral knee disabilities are reopened due to new evidence relating to the unestablished fact of chronicity.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted service connection. The initial disability ratings for left and right shoulder impingement syndrome are remanded.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issue of bilateral hearing loss is remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has granted an effective date of February 27, 1986 for the grant of service connection for tinnitus and hearing loss. The decision is based on a prior informal claim filed by the Veteran in February 1986.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to June 12, 2014 was denied.,An initial 20 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss effective from June 12, 2014 to October 13, 2019 was granted.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating than 20 percent for his bilateral hearing loss after June 12, 2014 was denied.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities was also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his active duty service and grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period, with a maximum rating of Level II in both ears. The Board denied an initial compensable disability rating for this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to outstanding VA medical evidence, specifically audiometric test results from 2014 to 2015. The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for hearing loss is being returned to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for further development.

Your appeal for a higher rating for your bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed because you withdrew the appeal before a decision was made.

The Veteran's hearing loss is related to service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to October 26, 2016, and in excess of 10 percent thereafter is being remanded due to the need for further VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation higher than 40 percent for his bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 40 percent.