Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a right wrist disorder was dismissed due to his withdrawal.,The effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD was denied as it is not earlier than June 18, 2018.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable from December 2, 2013 to May 8, 2017 due to the combined effect of multiple conditions including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, and orthopedic issues.

The Board has remanded the cases due to additional evidence being added to the claims file and the need for further review by the AOJ.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no persuasive evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating prior to March 10, 2016, and in excess of 20 percent thereafter for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The current assigned rating is a noncompensable (0%) rating.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to dementia, finding that it was not related to the Veteran's military service or his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened, but the appeal is remanded due to inadequate examination and need for a new opinion on the nature and etiology of the condition.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (specifically, unspecified anxiety disorder) and TDIU. The case is being returned to VA for further development.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for right ear hearing loss was dismissed as moot because the issue is no longer relevant due to a full grant of benefits in November 2021.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating and a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss prior to July 30, 2015, and from July 30, 2015 to July 17, 2018 was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings based on the Veteran's reported functional impact with his hearing.

The Veteran's PTSD, tension headaches, and left ear hearing loss were all denied increased ratings. The Board found that the Veteran's PTSD did not meet criteria for a higher rating due to its current severity. Service connection for low back disability, right ear hearing loss, and TDIU was remanded.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates for service connection of tinnitus and left ear hearing loss, as he withdrew his appeal regarding tinnitus and did not submit a claim for left ear hearing loss within one year after separation from service.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied service connection for right ear hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new and material evidence having been received. The Veteran's claim for a back disorder is reopened, but further development is needed as there are still unresolved issues regarding the nature of his claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and compensable rating for residuals, fracture, left 4th metacarpal, midshaft due to incomplete information in the August 2010 VA examination report regarding word recognition scores. The Veteran is also scheduled for an x-ray examination of his left 4th metacarpal, midshaft.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete compliance with previous remand directives and additional development is required.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear and right ear hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability or a link to military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and incorrect factual statements in a previous VA examination. The Veteran's periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA) need to be confirmed, as well as an updated opinion on the nature and etiology of his bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete compliance with its previous instructions and a need for an updated VA examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his military service. The Board noted that while he had noise exposure during service, there was no significant threshold shift in his hearing tests post-service, and his current hearing loss may be due to occupational noise exposure after service and presbycusis.