Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted service connection. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a back condition and a right shoulder condition due to lack of medical evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, has been remanded due to new evidence received since the November 2002 rating decision.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea secondary to his acquired psychiatric disability, a sinus disability, and vision loss have also been remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The case is being remanded to address service connection claims for traumatic injuries of the right and left hands.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has worsened, but the evidence does not comply with the requirements for rating purposes. The case is being remanded to obtain a new VA examination and determine the current severity of his hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate VA examinations, lack of evidence of a clinically significant threshold shift between enlistment and separation, and insufficient reasoning provided by the July 2017 VA examiner.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable (0%) throughout the appeal period, with an average pure tone threshold of 44 decibels in the right ear and 34 decibels in the left ear. The Board found no evidence to warrant a higher rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral, left ear, and right ear hearing loss due to lack of evidence showing a current disability or a link between in-service noise exposure and his hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current disability is due to noise exposure during his active duty.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD was denied due to lack of evidence linking the condition to his military service or a service-connected disability. The claim for TDIU was granted, and the issue of rating in excess of 60 percent for asbestosis is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and denied a temporary total rating for esophagogastrectomy convalescence period. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service noise exposure leading to current right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's initial rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied as the evidence did not support a higher rating than 20 percent.

The Board granted service connection for hypothyroidism due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service. Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were also granted as they are associated with in-service acoustic trauma, though the VA examiner did not concur.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right hip disability, an acquired psychiatric condition (PTSD), and bilateral hearing loss due to potential issues with the sufficiency of evidence regarding the onset and relationship to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate opinion in a previous VA examination, and it is unclear if service connection can be granted for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (bilateral hearing loss, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, tinnitus, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity) have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for prostate cancer and TDIU was denied. The prostate cancer residuals are rated at 60 percent, the maximum allowed under VA regulations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and retinitis pigmentosa due to incomplete records and a need for an addendum opinion from an ophthalmologist.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA addendum opinion regarding the cause of death. The Veteran's cause of death is being reviewed to determine if it is at least as likely as not caused by exposure to diesel and gasoline fumes in service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate consideration of a 2005 Institute of Medicine report in their decision denying service connection for right ear hearing loss. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered with new evidence and an updated medical opinion.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and hypertension was granted. The right ear hearing loss claim was denied.