Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Board has decided to remand the case due to issues related to the timeliness of a Notice of Disagreement (NOD) and for obtaining additional medical records. The Veteran's appeal involves service connection claims for right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's petition to reopen the claim of service connection for thyroid cancer has been granted. The Board finds that new and material evidence was received after a final decision, allowing the reopening of this claim.,Service connection is being remanded for variously diagnosed heart disability (including pulmonary hypertension and tricuspid valve regurgitation), variously diagnosed skin disability (Chloracne), bilateral hearing loss disability, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy. The appeal will be returned to the Board after completion of development.,The Veteran's service connection claim for a variety of skin disabilities is being remanded due to lack of evidence related to exposure to herbicide agents. Further examination may be required to determine if any current skin disability is related to military service.

The Board denied service connection for right and left ear hearing loss, finding no evidence of disability before August 16, 2021.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding insufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility that his service-connected conditions render him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for initial compensable rating for service-connected left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, and left leg disability have been dismissed. The Board has also remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, neck condition, and back condition.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and clarification.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted service connection. The lumbar spine, left leg, and right leg disabilities are denied.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus for further examination and opinion as the current evidence is insufficient to make a determination.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU is denied as the earliest possible effective date is May 31, 2013 due to the lack of service-connected disabilities prior to that date.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as there is no evidence of current disability.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee condition and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are due to his military service.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is granted as secondary to his service-connected allergic rhinitis and sinusitis.,An initial compensable rating for the Veteran's allergic rhinitis prior to November 18, 2020 was denied. From that date onwards, a 10% rating has been assigned.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were reopened due to the submission of new evidence. The Board found that the Veteran was exposed to acoustic trauma during his military service, which is sufficient to establish a link between his current disabilities (bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus) and his service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable since October 25, 2017.,VA granted service connection for CAD due to presumed herbicide exposure in March 2012.,VA granted a TDIU effective October 25, 2017 based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.,VA denied a TDIU application from April 2010 to October 25, 2017.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate VA etiological opinions. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings on various service-connected conditions have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings for hearing loss, headaches, TBI, mandibular malunion with TMJ, septal fracture post rhinoplasty, left femur fracture residuals, and scar of the left femur.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and private audiometric data. The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to December 4, 2021, and in excess of 10 percent thereafter is now pending.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the inadequacy of the May 2018 VA examination. A new VA examination with a different examiner will be scheduled.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted service connection, but his hemorrhoids are denied.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals regarding service connection for a left knee condition, left shoulder strain, and bilateral hearing loss. The appeal for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder (other specified anxiety disorder) is granted.