Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left ear hearing loss, left ankle disorder, and bilateral foot disorder due to insufficient examination reports. The VA audiologist is instructed to provide opinions on whether these conditions were caused by military acoustic trauma or in-service exposure to cold weather.

The Veteran's claims for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been granted as they are found to be related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and wound, right thigh with RFB were reopened and granted. The claim for colon cancer was denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding a significant threshold shift in hearing loss of the right ear. The Veteran needs another VA examination to define what constitutes a 'significant' shift.

The appeal for residuals of a bruised kidney was dismissed. The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, depression, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, right ankle disorder, and left ankle disorder were remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, and bilateral lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The appeal is remanded for further development regarding the Veteran's claim of sinusitis.,Service connection was not granted for sinusitis as there is no current diagnosis or evidence linking it to service.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims of service connection for a lumbar spine disability and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss due to his death.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's pre-existing hearing loss was aggravated by in-service acoustic trauma.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and remanded the issue of an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus began during active service and continued through present day, granting service connection for this condition. The claims for left ear hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as major depressive disorder) are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for headaches and bilateral hearing loss as they have been granted by a separate rating decision.,The Veteran's right knee meniscal tear and osteoarthritis are now service-connected, but the issue of bilateral ear disability (otitis media) is being remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The case is being returned for further development and an addendum opinion from a clinician.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate consideration of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities in determining his eligibility for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU). The claim will be referred back for further examination and evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, and denied a compensable rating for hearing loss. The evidence did not support the presence of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, degenerative joint disease of the knees, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, PTSD, and tremors).

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is at least as likely as not related to an explosion during service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted a 40 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss since November 10, 2020. The Veteran's hearing loss is currently rated as the highest possible under the applicable criteria.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection due to in-service noise exposure. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss, COPD, migraine headaches, right and left carpal tunnel syndrome are denied as there is no current disability or evidence of a link to service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether it is related to his military noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.