Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral eye disorder is denied as it is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident during service.,An initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied as the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, PTSD, and insomnia have been granted.,Service connection is established for tinnitus and PTSD. Insomnia remains denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, mini tumors, and a throat condition due to potential exposure to environmental hazards during service. The claims are being returned for further development including obtaining additional medical opinions and records.

The Board has found that further development is necessary for the Veteran's claims of bilateral hearing loss and bilateral hip conditions, as the medical opinions provided are inadequate. The Veteran will need to undergo new VA examinations to address these issues.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder have been reopened. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition due to the duration since his last examination and his report of worsening.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period. The Board finds that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating.,For PTSD, the Veteran's symptoms have resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood. He has been rated at 70 percent for this period.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as there is no current disability for VA purposes.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted. The claim for an initial compensable rating for the right knee scar is denied. The claims for service connection for a left eye condition, heart condition, GERD, gastrointestinal condition, right shoulder disability, and lumbar spine disability are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hyperthyroidism, residuals of a right-hand injury, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, traumatic brain injury, left eye vision disorder, headaches, polycythemia vera, hypertension, and transient ischemic attack are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.,The Veteran's claims will be further evaluated based on the results of these examinations.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The Veteran's current GERD is not related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for bronchial asthma, COPD, bilateral hearing loss, and a bilateral eye disability due to lack of evidence of current disabilities during the pendency of the claim.,Service connection was also denied for degenerative arthritis as it had already been approved by the Regional Office.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current diagnosis of a disability that meets the criteria for a hearing loss for VA purposes.,The Veteran's claims for carpal tunnel syndrome, gastrointestinal disorder, left and right ankle conditions, left and right hip conditions, and migraine are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA opinion regarding whether the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his service, specifically in-service noise exposure. The case will be returned for further review and a new opinion based on accurate audiometric data.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU beginning February 27, 2018 due to his service-connected disabilities.,The issue of entitlement to a TDIU prior to February 27, 2018 is remanded for further review.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issues of an increased rating for left knee disability and entitlement to a TDIU.

The Board has remanded the cases of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete development, specifically regarding records from Shell Oil where the Veteran worked in 1979.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss has been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability prior to his death.,Service connection was granted for left ear hearing loss, but the Veteran does not have a compensable rating due to the severity of his hearing loss.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a new examination and additional medical records, as well as to determine if there is any service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The claim will be reconsidered with a new examination and opinion.