Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability for VA purposes.,The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for upper back, right ankle, and right knee disabilities due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA.,Further development is needed to determine if any of these disabilities are related to the Veteran's service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left ankle fracture residuals and bilateral hearing loss have been denied as there is no evidence of in-service injury or noise exposure that could be linked to the current disabilities.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his in-service noise exposure, and therefore service connection is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination regarding the relationship between bilateral hearing loss and service-connected tinnitus.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is presumed to have been incurred in service due to continuous symptoms since separation.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable. The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA examinations and opinions regarding his dental condition (likely periodontal disease) and back condition.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are due to noise exposure during service. The Veteran's lay statements and a private medical opinion support this determination.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination regarding his hearing loss and tinnitus claims. The current evidence does not support a finding of service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus for further development. The Veteran's claims will be reviewed again with a focus on whether his hearing problems had their clinical onset during service or are due to an event or incident of his period of active service.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including monoclonal gammopathy, sleep apnea, stomach lining thickening, bilateral hearing loss, hydrocele of the testicle, and right hip scar. The claim for service connection for migraine headaches was reopened but not granted.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was denied as there is no current diagnosis of PTSD.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim was also denied due to lack of a current disability.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, bilateral elbow disorder (epicondylitis), and a disability rating in excess of 70 percent for bilateral hearing loss prior to October 15, 2021.

The Board has remanded the claims for malignant melanoma, cataracts, GERD, hypertension, and bilateral hearing loss due to various issues with the evidence or need for additional examination.

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 causal relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new examination and consideration of recent VA treatment records. The issue of increasing his rating for bilateral hearing loss will be reconsidered.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an upper respiratory disability and bilateral hearing loss disability due to incomplete medical opinions and unadjudicated claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation that is consistent with his education and occupational experience.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss disability was denied as the evidence did not support a compensable initial rating prior to December 23, 2020, or a rating in excess of 10 percent thereafter.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, are both remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board denied service connection for treatment purposes under Chapter 17 for a right ankle disability, left ankle disability, and bilateral hearing loss due to the lack of evidence of current disabilities.,The issues of service connection for TBI, back disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability are remanded.