Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates have been withdrawn.,The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates have been withdrawn.,The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates have been withdrawn.,The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date has been withdrawn.,The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date has been withdrawn.,New evidence has been submitted to reopen the service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea, but further review is needed before a decision can be made.,The Veteran's service connection claim for hypertension remains pending and requires additional development.,The Veteran's service connection claim for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) remains pending and requires additional development.,The Veteran's service connection claim for a neck disability remains pending and requires additional development.,The Veteran's service connection claim for traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains pending and requires additional development.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a traumatic brain injury (TBI) was denied due to the lack of current diagnosis and no evidence linking his symptoms to active duty. The claim for TDIU was also denied as the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable.

The Board has remanded the case due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives, and another remand is required.

The Veteran's tinnitus and right ear hearing loss are granted service connection, but left ear hearing loss is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, service connection for gastritis, mental condition (presumably PTSD or similar), migraine headaches, nausea associated with gastritis, and low back disability have been dismissed. The claim for right shoulder disability based on arm limitation of motion prior to July 18, 2016, has also been dismissed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is etiologically related to acoustic trauma sustained during his naval service, and thus grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the Veteran not reporting for a VA examination scheduled in December 2018. The case will be returned for further action.

The Board has denied the claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated during military service.

The Veteran's claims for residuals of a nose injury, bronchitis, hearing loss, and headaches have been denied. The claim for chest pain is remanded, as are the claims for left eye disability and kidney cancer.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss, right knee condition prior to July 23, 2015, and left knee condition prior to July 23, 2015 were all denied. The Veteran's right knee condition after July 23, 2015 and left knee condition after July 23, 2015 were also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss is related to her in-service hazardous noise exposure, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating in excess of 50 percent for bilateral hearing loss was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.,The Veteran's right inguinal hernia rating was reinstated to 30 percent effective February 1, 2019. The Board found that the reduction from 30 percent to 10 percent in November 2018 was improper and restored the original 30 percent rating.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities was granted.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection for various disabilities, including chronic gout, hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disability (claimed as depression), diabetes mellitus, migraine headaches, a sleep disorder with insomnia, tinnitus, and a back disability. The reasons include the need to verify the appellant's claimed service, particularly whether he served in line of duty during any periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, or INACDUTRA.

The Board has granted service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition is consistent with his in-service noise exposure and resolving doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the case due to a request for consideration of a recent military hearing loss study and an addendum opinion from a VA examiner.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran now meets the criteria for a current bilateral hearing loss disability related to in-service noise exposure. The Veteran should be provided with a new VA examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is rated as noncompensable, and the Board has remanded for further analysis of his peripheral vestibular disorder. The appeal regarding service connection for hearing loss remains unresolved.

The Veteran's tinnitus and acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder with secondary alcohol use disorder, are granted. Bilateral hearing loss and a back disability remain pending as they were remanded.