Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claims for service connection for complex sleep apnea and tinnitus have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The claim for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied, as his hearing impairment does not meet the criteria for any higher rating under VA's auditory acuity schedule. The Veteran's CAD remains at 60 percent disabling, with no evidence of chronic congestive heart failure or limited workload resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness, or syncope. The claim for an effective date earlier than June 26, 2014 for the increased PTSD rating is denied due to lack of factual ascertainability.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for complex sleep apnea and tinnitus have been reopened due to new and material evidence. His hearing loss remains at a noncompensable rating as his pure tone thresholds do not meet the criteria for any higher rating under VA's auditory acuity schedule. The Veteran's CAD is rated at 60 percent disabling, with no evidence of chronic congestive heart failure or limited workload resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness, or syncope. The claim for an effective date earlier than June 26, 2014 for the increased PTSD rating is denied due to lack of factual ascertainability.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain additional medical records, as well as to provide an addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's right ear hearing loss.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss, finding that his current right ear hearing loss did not have its onset during service and is not otherwise related to service. The preexisting left ear hearing loss was also found not to be aggravated during service.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of VA audiometric examination. The Veteran should be scheduled for an additional VA examination on remand.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right knee disability, and left knee disability have been granted. The effective date remains July 21, 2018.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as 0 percent disabling, and the Board has denied an initial compensable rating for this disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following any substantially gainful occupation from January 1, 1996 to May 16, 2006.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA audiological evaluation, specifically addressing the recent military noise-induced hearing loss study submitted by the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding his lumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities, as well as further development of Social Security Administration records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to ongoing issues with evidence development, including obtaining SSA records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional opinions regarding her psychiatric disorder, asthma, hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the development conducted does not comply with the October 2017 Board remand. The Veteran's last known mailing address and phone number have been updated, and VA examinations are scheduled for various disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence of bilateral hearing loss for compensation purposes and a need for further examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus claims have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability for VA purposes.,Service connection for tinnitus has also been denied due to lack of in-service or post-service diagnosis, and the absence of continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate medical opinions in the previous decision. The Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service noise exposure are considered credible, but a new VA examination is needed to address these statements.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, but has found that additional evidence is needed to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal of service connection for right ear hearing loss before the Board could make a decision.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted as they are related to in-service noise exposure.,Service connection has also been established for left ulnar mononeuropathy, which is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected shoulder condition.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss as the evidence did not support a finding that it was related to service, within one year of separation, or had continuity since service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss of the right ear, finding that it did not manifest in-service or within one year after separation and is not shown to be causally related to an in-service event. The Board also found no aggravation by service-connected left ear hearing loss disability.