Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been remanded due to insufficient evidence in the previous rating decision. The Board found new and relevant evidence that may support these claims.

The Board has identified a pre-decisional duty to assist error and remands the case for an addendum opinion from the examiner who conducted the June 2022 examination for hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his documented hearing loss in service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and memory loss due to in-service noise exposure, as there is no evidence of a current disability within one year of separation from service or continuity of symptomatology.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated as noncompensable prior to October 7, 2020 and then assigned a 10 percent rating from that date. The Board found the evidence did not support an increased rating for this condition.,For the period after October 7, 2020, the Veteran's hearing loss was rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board determined there was no evidence of a higher rating based on his current symptomatology.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's military service is etiologically related to his condition.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to May 26, 2021 is remanded due to insufficient evidence of unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The case will be referred to the Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his puretone thresholds and speech recognition scores did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of proper notification for a scheduled VA examination, and the Veteran's right ear hearing loss claim is being returned for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new opinion is needed regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims for the Veteran's death, including those for brain cancer, lymphoma, upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, hearing loss, impotence, eye condition, and stroke. The appeal is not about DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates are being remanded due to procedural errors in the prior decisions.,The Board is also remanding his service connection claim for right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and Bipolar Disorder, is now granted as service-connected.,His bilateral hearing loss claim remains pending due to the need for a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, asthma, and pulmonary tuberculosis due to an inability to contact the Veteran regarding their status.

The Veteran's hearing loss in the right ear is granted, but his tinnitus and bilateral knee disabilities are remanded for further examination. The right eye vision impairment claim is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss due to new evidence received since the last denial. The Veteran's tinnitus is now granted, but his claim for bilateral hearing loss remains pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examinations. Specifically, there are concerns about the severity of his hearing loss, headaches, and TBI prior to June 16, 2022, and in excess of 40 percent thereafter.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and medical opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The examiner failed to clearly address how military noise exposure impacts both tinnitus and hearing loss.

The Veteran's lumbar degenerative disc disease was granted an initial rating of 20 percent, effective from the date of the grant of service connection. The Veteran's left and right ear hearing loss were also granted service connection.