Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is incurred during his active military service and has continued to the present, granting entitlement to service connection.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right ear hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability related to his in-service noise exposure. The claim was not reopened as new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, Erectile Dysfunction, Bilateral Hearing Loss, and Tinnitus have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The claim for PTSD has been granted.,The claim for Erectile Dysfunction has also been granted. However, the claim for Bilateral Hearing Loss is being remanded as there are inconsistencies in the audiometric testing data provided.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is approximately balanced as to whether these conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, warranting a grant of TDIU effective November 16, 2020. The appeal is remanded for consideration of TDIU prior to this date.

The Board has granted service connection for migraines and found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability warrants a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches, hearing loss, and tinnitus rendered him unemployable prior to August 5, 2011. The Board has determined that there is a reasonable possibility of TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has dismissed all claims of service connection for various conditions, including right knee osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal issues, as well as psychiatric disorders. The appeal is dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of right ear hearing loss due to a lack of an adequate examination considering his in-service noise exposure. The case will be returned to the Board after further evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and assigned a 10 percent disability rating.,For the period on appeal, the Veteran's left patellofemoral pain syndrome with shin pain most closely approximates the criteria for a 10 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable initial rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to February 22, 2022 was denied. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss from February 22, 2022 was also denied.

The Board has withdrawn the appeals for left ankle disability, right ankle disability, and shin pain. The appeal for service connection of sleep apnea is remanded due to inadequate opinions in the November 2018 VA examination.

The Veteran was granted service connection for tinnitus, but denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and kidney stones. The Veteran's chronic sinusitis is rated at 50% from October 1, 2021.,Service connection for tinnitus was established as it was related to hazardous noise exposure during active military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with a rating of 50% for sinusitis from January 23, 2018 to March 24, 2019 and beginning April 18, 2019. Other conditions such as sleep apnea, hearing loss, otitis media, gout, asthma, esophageal disorder, and bladder disorder have also been granted service connection with the exception of left ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was granted a 10 percent rating effective April 7, 2000. A subsequent increase to a 20 percent rating was granted effective February 16, 2021.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment since July 15, 2014. The Board has granted a TDIU effective from that date.

The Board has granted service connection for a jaw disability, but has remanded the issues of service connection for left knee condition and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case due to a procedural issue regarding when the Veteran's disagreement with the December 2014 rating decision was submitted. The matter is now remanded for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the issue of a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss from January 31, 2012, to June 14, 2018. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment effective February 14, 2007.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to service and granted service connection. However, the Board has also remanded the issue of entitlement to service connection for hoarseness due to insufficient rationale in the previous VA medical opinion.