Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claims for PTSD, lower back disability, tinnitus, insomnia, and hearing loss was granted. The Board found new and material evidence in support of the PTSD claim, but denied reopening of the lower back disability claim due to lack of material evidence. Tinnitus is service-connected as it manifested during active duty. Hearing loss and insomnia are remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's thoracic muscle strain and right ear hearing loss are granted as service connected.,An initial noncompensable disability rating is denied for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The appeal seeking a 10 percent rating based on multiple, noncompensable disabilities has been dismissed as moot due to the assignment of a 10 percent disability rating. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including service connection claims for various disabilities and exposure to military noise. The Veteran's current hearing loss disability is denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, and the claim for a compensable rating is denied.,Service connection for a lower back condition is granted. The Board finds that service connection is warranted based on in-service events and current diagnoses.

The Veteran's petition to reopen the claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and obstructive sleep apnea was granted. The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability is remanded due to lack of recent VA treatment records, while the claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea remains granted.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's arthritis of the neck and ankylosing spondylitis are both found to be secondary to his service-connected psoriasis.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection claims have been dismissed.,An increased rating of 100 percent for PTSD effective December 8, 2011 has been granted.

The Veteran's hearing loss in his right ear was incurred during service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for a VA examination. The Veteran's hearing loss is being evaluated again as part of this process.

The Board has dismissed the issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a left shoulder disability due to the Veteran's withdrawal at his July 2022 hearing. The issue of psychiatric disability (to include PTSD and anxiety/depression) is remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss prior to September 30, 2023, finding that there was no current disability to attribute to military service.

The Board dismissed the issue of service connection for right ear hearing loss as no substantive appeal was received.

The Veteran's somatic symptom disorder, chronic back pain, and right ear hearing loss are granted as secondary to service-connected musculoskeletal disorders. The claims for left ear hearing loss, cyst, and right eye impairment are denied.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left ear hearing loss, neck condition (cervical spine), back condition (cervical spine), left breast condition, muscle atrophy, left foot condition, and right foot condition have been granted. The rating of 20 percent has been restored for the left cervical sensory loss, circumflex nerve.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss was denied as the evidence did not support a compensable rating prior to September 8, 2021 and no higher than 20 percent from September 8, 2021 to July 10, 2023. The claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent from July 10, 2023 was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the need for a new VA medical opinion regarding whether his ear symptoms are manifestations or symptoms of his service-connected hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there are no current audio readings in the record to meet the criteria under Diagnostic Code 6100.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied as his puretone threshold averages do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss but denied service connection for right ear hearing loss.