Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as there is no current diagnosis of a disability that meets the criteria for a hearing loss disability in accordance with VA standards.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has also been denied, as his tinnitus already receives the maximum schedular rating available under VA regulations.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as Level II in the right ear and Level I in the left ear, resulting in a noncompensable rating. The Board denied an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities make it impossible for him to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus granting his claim for TDIU.

The Board has granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis prior to January 28, 2011, due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability. The case is remanded to determine if his respiratory disorder, including due to TERA exposure, is related to service.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been denied as there is no evidence of a formal or informal claim prior to July 25, 2017.,The Veteran's initial compensable rating claim for bilateral hearing loss has also been remanded due to the need for additional examination and evaluation.

The Board has found that further development is necessary for the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including erectile dysfunction, hypertension, thyroid condition, diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, and bilateral hearing loss. The case is being remanded to ensure compliance with prior instructions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and acquired psychiatric disorder claims are denied as there is no evidence of a current disability meeting VA criteria.,For the right and left upper extremity nerve conditions, additional development is needed to determine their etiology.

The Veteran's tinnitus has been granted service connection. The Board found the Veteran's lay statements credible and established that his tinnitus began during his military service. For the remaining issues, the Board remanded for further development including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board has denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for tinnitus, and has remanded the issues of service connection for left knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, and increased evaluation for cataract with extraction, and IOL OS with glaucoma, macular pigment alteration and vitreous hemorrhage.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a traumatic brain injury, degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, and migraine headaches have been granted. The claim for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than January 12, 2015 for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for service-connected hypertensive heart disease has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, claimed as anxiety and depression, has been denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that his current hearing loss is not related to active service or any incident of service, including as due to in-service exposure to hazardous noise.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are considered to be so severe that they prevent him from obtaining or maintaining a substantially gainful occupation.

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

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been remanded due to procedural errors in the appeal process.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 0 percent since September 1, 2009. The Board found that the current rating is not warranted as his hearing impairment does not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board dismissed the appeal for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss as the appellant withdrew her appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not meet the statutory criteria for a diagnosis of hearing loss.,The Veteran's claims for skin disabilities affecting his hands and trunk, and feet are denied as he does not have current diagnoses of these conditions.,The Veteran's claim for residuals, to include scarring, due to MRSA infection is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to missing service medical records and difficulty in notifying the Veteran of examination dates.