Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case due to failure to substantially comply with its March 2020 remand, including failing to provide an adequate statement of reasons or bases for findings and law when it failed to address a reasonably raised theory of entitlement. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is now subject to further development.

The Board has remanded the cases of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate medical opinions in the October 2015 VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss but has remanded the issue of a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. Tinnitus is found to have started during active service, while the evidence does not support a finding that hearing loss began in service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The Board is remanding these cases for further development.,The Veteran's TDIU claim has also been remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the other issues.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, type 2, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, erectile dysfunction, and hypertension have been granted. These conditions are all secondary to his service-connected diabetes.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to inadequate medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's employment history is also requested.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, with a Level I numeric designation under Table VI. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Veteran's tinnitus, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, type 2, and skin cancer are all granted as they are presumed to be related to his service due to exposure to herbicide agents.,Service connection for retinopathy is remanded. The issue of whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was aggravated by service is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding VA treatment records and a need for a VA medical opinion on the combined effects of service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence regarding their relationship to service. Additional medical opinions are needed, including consideration of delayed onset hearing loss.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a groin injury, back disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence did not establish current disabilities or link these conditions to service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's back disability and remanded his right ear hearing loss case.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were dismissed due to the death of the appellant. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate these claims as they are not about service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining all forms of substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, sinusitis, and a skin condition have been remanded due to the need for further development.,New evidence has not established service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, type 2, Parkinson's disease, coronary artery disease, diabetic retinopathy, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and erectile dysfunction have been granted as due to exposure to herbicides.,The Veteran was found to have set foot in Vietnam during his service, which is presumed for purposes of herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected, and his bilateral hearing loss is denied for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent.