Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has granted entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and right knee degenerative joint disease.,Remaining claims of service connection are being remanded due to outstanding Social Security Administration medical records.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, which is believed to be related to in-service combat noise exposure. The VA examiner did not adequately consider the Veteran's lay statements about symptoms in and shortly after service.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are not related to his service, as the evidence does not support a finding that they began during service or are otherwise linked to an in-service injury or disease.,Bilateral hearing loss is not shown to have had its onset during service or within one year of separation from active duty. The Veteran did not report any hearing issues during service and there is no evidence of noise exposure related to his military duties.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and assigned a noncompensable evaluation. The issue of entitlement to an increased disability rating for left ear hearing loss is remanded.

The Veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae is granted as service-connected.,His bilateral flat feet are denied as not aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings due to outstanding VA treatment records and incomplete STRs. The issues of tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, hypertensive heart disease with LVH and mild diastolic dysfunction, major depressive disorder, sleep apnea, and retinal holes with lattice degeneration are all remanded.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and irritable bowel syndrome. The case is being remanded to allow the AOJ to consider this new evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, left shoulder disability, thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease, and other conditions, are found to preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation as a truck driver. As such, the Board has granted his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, serous otitis media, and several other conditions were denied. The appeals for increased ratings for hearing loss and scars, as well as the effective date claims for serous otitis media and scars were also denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess its current severity. The issue of TDIU is also being remanded as it is related to the hearing loss disability.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence to determine if there is a current disability related to service. The Veteran needs to undergo VA examinations to assess his hearing loss and tinnitus, and a medical opinion on their etiology.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, which is related to conceded hazardous noise exposure during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding no evidence of a chronic disability in service or within the applicable presumptive period. The Veteran's current diagnosis was not related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss as there is no current diagnosis of this condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to new evidence being requested, but no SOC has been issued yet.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for hearing loss in both ears and tinnitus due to inadequate statements of reasons or bases regarding the duty to assist and VA treatment records, as well as issues related to a sinus condition.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and TDIU prior to August 10, 2022 were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show that the Veteran was unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder, to include GERD. The claim for right ear hearing loss is dismissed as moot due to the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The issue of service connection for unexplained chronic symptoms remains pending and requires further examination and medical opinion.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for service-connected perforated membrane with bilateral hearing loss was denied. A separate 30 percent rating is granted for symptoms of staggering, incoordination, and loss of balance associated with the service-connected condition.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected gastric ulcer was denied.