Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate medical opinion.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disorder, diagnosed as a lumbosacral strain. The claims for right ankle disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and sleep apnea, finding no evidence of current disabilities. The low back and neck disorders are remanded for further development.,Service connection is not granted for the Veteran's claimed conditions due to lack of a current disability diagnosis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability was denied as the weight of evidence did not support a finding that his current condition is related to active duty or service-connected disabilities.,Claims for increased ratings were also denied, with the Board finding no evidence supporting higher ratings based on the Veteran's symptoms and medical records.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that the evidence did not support a nexus between in-service noise exposure and current symptoms.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, finding that he does not meet the criteria for such benefits.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine was reopened and granted. Service connection is also granted for left ear hearing loss.,Service connection for right ear hearing loss is denied, as there is no evidence of a current disability meeting VA criteria.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss due to potential secondary causes. The case is now before the Board again.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss prior to October 12, 2021 was denied. The claim for TDIU was also denied as the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for clarification of an examiner's opinion regarding the appellant's bilateral hearing loss. The examiner did not consider conversion from ASA to ISO-ANSI units, transcribed data incorrectly, and did not discuss certain service department testing results.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for left ear hearing loss, finding that his condition is etiologically related to noise exposure during active duty.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been granted.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded and will require further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been reopened. The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to service, thus granting service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in approximate balance as to whether these conditions are related to exposure to acoustic trauma during service.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to the Veteran's death.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the Veteran's current hearing loss and his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 10 percent prior to March 4, 2020 and granted a 40 percent rating from March 4, 2020 to January 19, 2022.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional development and consideration of new evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and residuals of a right ring finger injury. The Veteran's claims for bladder cancer and injuries to the index and long fingers of his right hand have been dismissed.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, with a Maryland CNC speech recognition score of Level II in both ears and pure tone thresholds averaging no worse than 35 decibels.