Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the claims for verification of in-service herbicide exposure and further development is needed. The initial compensable rating claim for bilateral hearing loss remains denied, as does service connection for myelodysplastic syndrome, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss began during his Reserve service in April 2006 and is presumed to be related to this period of active duty. The condition continues to present today, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for bilateral pes planus, right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus due to additional development being necessary. The Veteran's preexisting conditions are at issue.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an incomplete VA examination and insufficient evidence for a determination of bilateral hearing loss. A new examination is required.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been reopened. The Board has determined that the evidence received since the May 2013 rating decision is both new and material to the claims of service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. However, the claims are being remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for PTSD, hearing loss, and tinnitus. The cause of death claim is also remanded. The SMP claim requires an examination to determine if the appellant qualifies.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for left shoulder disorder, right foot disorder, left foot disorder, and bilateral hearing loss. The claims are being remanded to allow for further examination and opinion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during or were otherwise related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate opinion regarding etiology. Further testing is needed, and a new examination must be conducted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to service. The VA will obtain an addendum opinion from a VA audiologist.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted service connection. An initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to September 7, 2016 was denied. From September 7, 2016 to September 26, 2019, an initial 10% rating for bilateral hearing loss was granted. A higher than 50% rating for bilateral hearing loss after September 26, 2019 is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate previous examinations and the need for an addendum opinion regarding the significance of the lack of pure tone testing at 4000 Hertz during service.

The Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is granted as service connected, with a rating of 20%.

The Board has remanded the case due to an open medical question regarding whether the Veteran has a bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes and because another etiology opinion is needed on both the primary claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and the secondary theory of entitlement based on tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an eye disorder other than cataracts have been dismissed due to the appellant's death.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for consideration of an extraschedular rating due to his auditory processing disorder, which makes his hearing loss disability worse.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral pes planus was denied due to a finding that the condition did not aggravate a pre-existing foot disorder. The new evidence does not provide sufficient information to reopen this claim.,The Veteran's claim for right ear hearing loss was granted as it is etiologically related to acoustic trauma sustained during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been reopened, and the appeal of these issues is granted. The VA has remanded both issues to obtain additional evidence and conduct further examinations.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be etiologically related to in-service noise exposure, resulting in a grant of service connection for both conditions.