Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are causally related to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for right leg disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence or examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, right ankle ligament laxity, shoulder conditions, and other residuals, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to March 18, 2020. Basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits is also established.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss does not meet the level required to be a disability for VA purposes.,The Board also denied service connection for residuals of a thyroidectomy, including as secondary to asbestos exposure. The Board found that there is no evidence linking the Veteran's hypothyroidism to his in-service exposures.

The Veteran's TDIU claim from February 16, 2016 is granted. The appeal for service connection and increased rating for bilateral hearing loss are dismissed.

The Board has granted a TDIU and established basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance Benefits based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and myopia with presbyopia of the bilateral eyes were denied. The Veteran's claim for bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis and a right foot strain was granted. His claim for right shoulder rotator cuff tear, status post arthroscopic repair, was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to December 13, 2021.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a disabling level of bilateral hearing loss. The Board also finds that the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected schizophrenia has been established, allowing him to receive SMC at the housebound rate. As his TDIU was moot due to the 100% rating for schizophrenia and concurrent SMC, there are no allegations of errors of fact or law remaining.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to in-service noise exposure and granted service connection based on continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board has found that the VA medical opinion is inadequate for adjudication purposes and remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a new VA examination and medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a question regarding whether the Veteran's speech impediment is related to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss or another separate condition. The decision also mentions that referral to the Director of Compensation Service may be warranted if it is determined that the speech impediment is caused by the service-connected hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate examination and reasoning.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and flat feet due to incomplete records and need for a new VA examination. The Veteran's service connection claims are otherwise granted.

The Board has found that there are outstanding VA medical records for hearing loss and new evidence submitted by the Veteran regarding in-service herbicide agent exposure. The claims are remanded to acquire these records and determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during active service.

The Veteran's hypertension was not rated as compensable prior to July 6, 2018.,There is no evidence of a current bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes during the appeal period.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction secondary to major depressive disorder has been granted.,Service connection for sleep apnea has not been established.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and its connection to VA treatment. The case will be reviewed with a focus on identifying any additional disabilities caused by VA treatment for ear problems from November 2013 to February 2014, and determining if these were proximately caused by carelessness or negligence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss has been denied.

The Board has determined that the case must be remanded due to issues related to effective dates for disability evaluations and eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits. Specifically, the Veteran's left ear hearing loss was initially evaluated in February 2010 with a 10 percent evaluation, but there is new evidence indicating changes in his audiometric data from April 2010 that were not considered in the initial decision. The Board also notes that the issues of effective dates for combined and DEA benefits are intertwined with the left ear hearing loss issue.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with effective dates ranging from March 16, 2001 to January 4, 2008. The conditions were related to his military service and the VA has assigned full ratings (100%) for all granted issues.