Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to insufficient evidence. The other two conditions (bilateral hearing loss and right eye myopia) were denied as there was no evidence of a current disability meeting VA compensation criteria.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss but denied service connection for right ear hearing loss. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is considered to be related to his in-service duties as an aircraft mechanic, while the right ear hearing loss does not meet the criteria for VA purposes.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus was rated at a 10 percent prior to July 18, 2018 and granted a 30 percent rating from that date.,The Veteran's right knee disability was remanded for additional development as there were outstanding non-VA treatment records not in the file.,The Veteran's Meniere's disease with chronic suppurative otitis media was remanded to determine if tinnitus should be considered a symptom and whether it warranted a separate rating prior to August 7, 2020.,The Veteran's alopecia with scarring was remanded for an addendum opinion on whether the condition is more appropriately characterized as discoid lupus erythematous.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to inadequate examination addressing his hyperacusis symptoms and the need for a separate disability rating. The Board finds that further VA evaluation is needed.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, finding that it is related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is rated at 0 percent, and his tinnitus is rated at the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent. The Board denied both claims as there was no legal basis for a higher evaluation.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date for the grant of total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from May 7, 2012. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from maintaining gainful employment prior to this date.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The Board finds that the January 17, 2019, VA examination report is relevant as it tends to disprove his bilateral hearing loss disability is the result of his active-duty service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is due to his military noise exposure. The decision is based on the evidence of record and a medical opinion provided by a private audiologist.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are etiologically related to in-service acoustic trauma.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate rationale in the previous examination. The Veteran's exposure during active duty and National Guard service is noted, but the examiner did not consider his ACDUTRA service or the potential aggravation of tinnitus by hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, and the claim for a compensable evaluation is denied.,The Veteran's hepatitis C is rated as noncompensable, and the claim for an initial compensable evaluation is denied.

The Veteran's appeals for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities are all remanded. The appeal for service connection for low back pain is also remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current diagnosis of the disability. For his IVDS and thoracolumbar DJD, the Board finds that the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent are not met.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received for the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right shoulder disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The claims are being remanded to allow for further examination and consideration.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, left knee condition, right knee condition, left leg condition, lumbar back condition, and neck condition due to a duty-to-assist error. The Veteran was not scheduled for examinations because he failed to appear, but it is believed he was briefly incarcerated in March 2022.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the lack of updated audiometric testing results and an unclear VA examination conducted in May 2019.

The Veteran's initial noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied as his hearing acuity does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not result in the need for regular aid and attendance of another person, nor does he have a need for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as they are related to noise exposure during service.