Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is service-connected, but the July 2019 VA examination was inadequate. The Board has decided to remand the case for a new examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied as his hearing acuity did not meet the criteria for any higher rating under VA's Schedule for Rating Disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on all issues have been dismissed due to her withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that his symptoms started during or immediately after service and are related to his active duty exposure.

The Board has determined that the VA examination report is inadequate and a new examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records from the Phoenix Vet Center.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for PTSD is on hold due to incomplete VA treatment records from the Phoenix Vet Center. The hearing loss claim remains in the Legacy system and will be addressed in a future Board decision.

The Veteran's tinnitus claim is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran has continuously experienced tinnitus since his in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to a lack of probative evidence addressing the etiology of the Veteran's current hearing loss.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there was no evidence of a current disability during or in proximity to the appeal period.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss and an earlier effective date for PTSD was denied. The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 100% since January 28, 2019.

The Board has found an error in not obtaining all of the Veteran's VA treatment records, including those from August 2020. As a result, the case is being remanded for further development and readjudication.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his auditory acuity levels did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's appeals for higher initial ratings for major depressive disorder, a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss, and entitlement to TDIU have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeals prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection, but the rating for his bilateral hearing loss needs to be remanded due to lack of recent VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, due to exposure to herbicides is granted. The Board finds the Veteran had service in Korea near the DMZ and was exposed to herbicide agents during his active duty.

The Veteran's service connection for right ear hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability.,Service connection for headaches secondary to TBI is granted, but the issue of service connection for fatigue is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for VA compensation purposes in relation to his claimed conditions, and thus service connection is denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased rating of 0% for bilateral hearing loss, and the Board dismissed the case as a result.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a new examination and opinion regarding the etiology of his hearing loss.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as these conditions are inextricably intertwined with his service connection claims.