Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left upper extremity degenerative arthritis, right upper extremity degenerative arthritis, and left ear hearing loss. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his active military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure during combat operations.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of new evidence, including the PACT Act.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was found to warrant a noncompensable rating prior to July 2, 2020 and a 20 percent rating after that date. The claims for increased ratings were denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to unclear audiogram results and a need for further medical evaluation to determine if the Veteran has a hearing loss disability related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a failure to notify the Veteran of his scheduled VA examination. The claims will be further developed to ensure proper notification and evaluation.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently assigned a noncompensable evaluation.,Service connection for the right knee disorder, left arm disorder, left ankle disorder, and right ankle disorder are all denied.,Service connection for diabetes, back disorder, shoulder disorder, TBI (head injury) with memory loss, neck disorder, hypertension (high blood pressure), cerebral vascular accident (CVA, strokes), headaches, and PTSD is also denied.,The Veteran's vision loss was not found to be related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and chronic sinusitis were denied. For bilateral hearing loss, a compensable rating was granted as of June 14, 2022, and a higher rating was granted as of June 7, 2023. Service connection for chronic sinusitis was also denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was initially rated as noncompensable prior to September 21, 2020.,Beginning from September 21, 2020, the Veteran is granted a 60 percent rating for his bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeal was improperly docketed under the AMA system and should be re-docketed in the Legacy system. The issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are now remanded for further adjudication.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to obtain a VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The AOJ is instructed to ensure compliance with these directives and conduct any further development as needed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for status-post excision cutaneous lesion of the right ear and SMC based on aid and attendance and/or housebound status, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions regarding her hearing loss, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy conditions, and exposure history.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left ear hearing loss due to inadequate opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions. The Veteran must provide additional evidence or undergo a new examination if necessary.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for sensorineural hearing loss in both ears and bilateral tinnitus due to a lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability as his hearing did not meet the criteria for a disability for VA purposes.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there is no evidence of a preexisting condition worsening during service or any other link to service.

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, a left knee condition, a right knee condition, a left ankle condition, and a right ankle condition were granted. The claim of service connection for PTSD was dismissed due to lack of credible supporting evidence.