Hearing loss decisions — 2023

All appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been withdrawn by the Veteran. The appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted service connection, but his type 2 diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy are denied as secondary to the primary condition of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus due to inadequate medical opinions and lack of audiometric evaluations within the last six years.

The Veteran's current right ear hearing loss is related to his period of active service.,The Veteran does not have a left ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes.,The Veteran's current tinnitus is related to his period of active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, and the Board denied his claim for TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is caused by his service-connected tinnitus and migraines. The claim will be reconsidered with new medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) has been granted due to exposure to herbicides during his service in Thailand. The effective date is set at the date of receipt of the claim, February 11, 2010. For bilateral hearing loss and left foot hallux valgus, the claims are denied as there is no earlier effective date found.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and stress fractures of the feet, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service. The Veteran's current disabilities were not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and granted. Service connection is now established for bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), seizures, and obstructive sleep apnea.,However, the Board has found that additional evidence is needed to determine if the Veteran's claimed conditions are secondary to his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and an initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability in either ear.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss was evaluated as Level I, resulting in a noncompensable rating. The Board found the evidence insufficient to warrant a compensable rating.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy are each rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum rating available under Diagnostic Code 8615.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not shown to be related to his active duty service or any other etiology. Therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that there was no evidence to support a nexus between his current hearing loss and military service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for right knee, right shoulder, eye, and hearing loss disabilities due to new evidence submitted since the final denial in September 2006. The claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of bilateral hearing loss and headaches, as well as his claim for service connection for a back disorder, have been remanded by the Board due to additional development being required.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to February 12, 2020 was denied. The appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for the condition from that date forward was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to his failure to report for a VA examination, and the need for another evaluation of his bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and residuals of a cold injury to the feet due to incomplete development. The VA is instructed to attempt to obtain any pertinent medical records, including those from January 1970 audiograms, and schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to address his exposure to extreme cold in service and the nature and etiology of his current foot disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability is denied, and the issue of a rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbosacral strain is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, allergic rhinitis, and left foot degenerative arthritis are granted. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.