Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for hypothyroidism and an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including sleep apnea, right shoulder condition, back condition, left shoulder condition, hearing loss, and lung condition. The reasons given were that there was no evidence to establish a nexus between these conditions and service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings of PTSD and bilateral hearing loss, effectively dismissing the claims.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to additional VA clinical evidence being added to the record.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, chronic venous hypertension/insufficiency, and peripheral vascular disease are all granted. The decision also includes a remand for further evaluation of heart arrhythmia, respiratory disorder, hypertension, and bilateral foot disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, but has remanded the issue of left ear hearing loss due to insufficient reasoning in the May 2012 VA examination.

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

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, hemorrhagic cerebrovascular accident, left upper extremity muscle weakness, and lower left extremity muscle weakness, have rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment prior to January 30, 2020. The Board has remanded the case for referral of the issue to the Director of Compensation Service for consideration of an extraschedular TDIU.

The Board has found that the evidence is inadequate to resolve the claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, and thus remanded the case for an addendum opinion from a VA medical examiner.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not etiologically related to his military service, and therefore, denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The hearing loss claim was denied as the evidence did not show a compensable rating prior to September 8, 2021 and higher than 10 percent thereafter. The gunshot wound to the left shoulder muscle group IV claim was also denied as there was no evidence of a rating higher than 20 percent prior to August 25, 2021. A separate 20 percent rating for residuals of gunshot wound to the left shoulder muscle group III was granted effective December 6, 2016.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his in-service noise exposure. The claims were reopened due to new and material evidence received since the last final denial.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records, a VA examination, and information about the Veteran's employment.

The Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his right knee disability and service connection for left ear hearing loss were denied. The Board also found that the Veteran's claims for secondary service connection for bilateral ankle, foot, hip, and shoulder disabilities required additional development.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his auditory acuity did not meet the criteria for any higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus should be remanded due to insufficient examination opinions regarding the relationship between current conditions and in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea (secondary to PTSD), and an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected PTSD due to incomplete medical opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a disease or injury in service and that current bilateral hearing loss is not related to noise exposure during service. The Board also found that the Veteran did not have a significant threshold shift beyond normal measurement variability while in service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to noise exposure.

The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied due to lack of current disability. The claim for left lower extremity radiculopathy was denied as part of the January 2003 rating decision, which is final. The claims for vertigo and sunburn scars were addressed in the August 2016 rating decision.