Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss began during active service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss before the Board could make a decision.

The Board has remanded the cases due to scheduling errors for VA examinations and requests that the Veteran provide any private treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted. The claims for left knee disorder and right knee disorder are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on multiple conditions has been dismissed due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are at least as likely as not related to his active service.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, and hearing loss are remanded due to unresolved medical and procedural matters.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of right ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine its etiology and relationship to service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to March 15, 2023, and in excess of 10 percent thereafter was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the Veteran's subjective reports of difficulty understanding speech.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities. The case will be referred to the Director of Compensation Service for consideration of whether an extraschedular rating is warranted for the hearing loss claim, and the AOJ should request that the Veteran complete and return VA Form 21-8940 for the TDIU claim.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, specifically addressing the significance of normal hearing on separation and the potential impact of a gap in documented medical treatment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeal involves issues related to his bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo. The case is being remanded for further development including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to work.

The Veteran's GERD is granted as secondary to his service-connected generalized anxiety disorder with major depressive disorder. The Board finds a remand necessary for the Veteran to undergo a new examination to determine the current severity of his bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee pain, hepatitis, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to missing treatment records and the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date and higher initial rating for right ear hearing loss is dismissed as the claim has been severed due to clear and unmistakable error.,The Veteran's request to reopen his finally disallowed claim of entitlement to service connection for a right foot injury is granted. The evidence received since the last final denial supports this claim.,Service connection for a left foot condition is denied because there is no current evidence of such a condition or any treatment sought by the Veteran.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for right shoulder impingement is granted, with the persuasive weight of the evidence being in equipoise as to whether it manifested within one year of separation from service.,Service connection for post traumatic headaches with blurry vision is granted at a 30 percent rating.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for chronic headaches and bilateral hearing loss have been dismissed. The appeals for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and a left wrist disability are remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and scheduling VA examinations to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed psychiatric, back, jaw, and bilateral hearing loss disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The right ankle, left ankle, and left knee scars are not rated higher than the current 10 percent due to their non-painful and stable nature.,Tonsillitis is currently assigned a 10 percent rating, which is the maximum allowed under Diagnostic Code 6599-6516. Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not warrant additional ratings.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, headache disorder (claimed as panic attacks), and sleep apnea. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.