Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Board has dismissed the claims for dropped bone in left foot and bilateral hearing loss disability due to the appellant's death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted as the evidence shows that his hearing impairment during service, particularly due to exposure to acoustic trauma while serving in a light-weapon infantry role, meets the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and higher ratings for cervical spine and lumbosacral spine arthritis are remanded.

The appeal for service connection of a left hand disability is dismissed. The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have current hearing loss to a degree that qualifies as a ratable disability. The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for back, knee, and hip disabilities due to potential aggravation by pre-existing conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's tinnitus, finding that it began during his military service. Service connection was denied for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the inadequacy of the August 2020 VA examination, which did not provide speech discrimination scores and failed to explain why such scores could not be provided.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for residuals of high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer was denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was also denied.

The Board has determined that the AOJ made a pre-decision error by not providing an adequate medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and in-service noise exposure. The case is being remanded to obtain such an opinion.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The hearing loss and dental disability claims are remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as secondary to service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's current hearing loss is related to in-service noise exposure, and his tinnitus is considered a symptom of his service-connected hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating of 30 percent, but no higher, from June 1, 2016, to January 21, 2020, for service-connected bilateral hearing loss is granted. The claim for a disability rating in excess of 60 percent from January 21, 2020, is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to in-service acoustic trauma.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and increased rating of migraine headaches, bilateral hearing loss, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to insufficient development or medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his current ratings are already at the maximum allowed under VA regulations.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied by the Board, and no effective date is assigned.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment as of April 26, 2022. The Board granted a TDIU from that date.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is currently rated at 30 percent, effective from February 21, 2022. The Board denied an increased rating prior to this date.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, right elbow disability, skin disorder, diabetes, hepatitis C, and cholecystectomy residuals due to additional development of records and obtaining addendum opinions from different examiners.