Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence in the previous VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient documentation of private treatment records that may have established hearing loss prior to diagnosis.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than February 27, 2013 for tinnitus is denied as there was no communication prior to that date indicating intent to apply for service connection.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than June 27, 2006 for psychiatric disorder (post-traumatic stress disorder with major depressive disorder) is dismissed as a matter of law due to the finality of the April 2007 rating decision awarding service connection and assigning a noncompensable rating.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than February 21, 2014 for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss is remanded as there was no evidence showing that any increase in disability or additional disability following the May 2011 left long finger trigger release was proximately due to VA's fault.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for multiple actinic keratoses and melanoma is remanded as there was no evidence showing that any increase in disability or additional disability following the May 2011 left long finger trigger release was proximately due to VA's fault.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities is remanded as there was no evidence showing that any increase in disability or additional disability following the May 2011 left long finger trigger release was proximately due to VA's fault.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II due to the need for a new examination and development of his in-service exposure claim.

The Veteran's claim for reopening of service connection for tinnitus was granted, and the claim for secondary service connection for tinnitus due to right ear hearing loss was also granted.,The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable.

The Veteran's representative withdrew the issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus at a Board hearing, leading to their dismissal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment as of May 1, 2018.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability has been fully granted, resulting in the dismissal of this issue.,New and material evidence was not received sufficient to reopen the claim for service connection for a skin disability.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left and right foot disabilities, heart disability, ankle disabilities, and pseudofolliculitis barbae have been granted. The claim of reopening for a heart disability has also been granted. However, the issues regarding left and right ankle disabilities and left leg disability are still pending as they require further examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to have started during his military service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus have been dismissed. The Board has also remanded the issue of a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for initial compensable evaluations for his right eye and left ear hearing loss, as well as service connection for his right ear hearing loss. The claims are being remanded due to the need for new examinations to assess the current severity of these disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss was granted, with a rating of 70 percent effective April 18, 2017.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction (secondary to PTSD and/or medication) is remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding aggravation.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining a VA audiological examination.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with borderline psychotic features and hearing loss and tinnitus do not meet the threshold requirement for VR&E benefits as he has overcome his employment handicap through his career progression at the U.S. Forest Service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability meeting VA criteria.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated as Level III in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable rating. The Board found the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there is no current disability that meets VA criteria.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is being remanded for further evaluation due to the need for a proper medical opinion regarding its etiology and whether it was aggravated by his service-connected right ear hearing loss.