Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right ear hearing loss, skin disorder (claimed as skin cancer on head), and respiratory disorder (emphysema) due to potential issues with service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is being remanded for a new examination to assess the current severity of his condition. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the hearing loss rating issue.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss warrants a compensable rating, and the Board has also remanded for an examination to assess his dizziness and loss of equilibrium.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hypothermia of the lower and upper extremities, and an acquired psychiatric disorder secondary to hypothermia. The decision found that new evidence did not support reopening the claim for bilateral hearing loss, and there was no evidence of a cold injury in service related to hypothermia.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of a chronic disability in service or continuity of symptomatology since service. The Board also found that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to February 25, 2015.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issue of a compensable disability rating for umbilical hernia.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated as noncompensable due to the severity of his hearing acuity, which is no worse than Level II in the right ear and Level IV in the left ear.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been evaluated as noncompensable, with the most recent VA examination showing hearing acuity levels of Level II in both ears. The Board found that this level does not warrant a compensable rating.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that there is no direct or secondary relationship between his current condition and his military service.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, a back disability, a left ankle disability, and hypertension due to his death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating prior to August 24, 2016, and a rating in excess of 30 percent thereafter for bilateral hearing loss. The most probative evidence did not support granting any higher ratings.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss requires a remand for further evaluation and rating.

The Veteran's hypertension and bilateral hearing loss have been denied initial compensable ratings.,Diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity has been granted a noncompensable rating since November 1, 2012. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left femoral nerve was granted a separate 10% rating since July 7, 2021.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted, and his appeal for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as his hearing impairment does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of zero percent from April 22, 2014 to January 30, 2020; 10 percent from January 31, 2020 to October 12, 2021; or 50 percent from October 13, 2021 forward.

The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The right knee and left knee disabilities are remanded as there is insufficient evidence to determine their etiology.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no current disability or evidence of in-service noise exposure. The Veteran's lay statements were not considered sufficient to establish a nexus between his current conditions and service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient audiometric data and a need for a new VA examination.