Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete information from a previous VA examination. The Veteran's current hearing levels could not be tested, and further clarification is needed.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss but granted service connection for tinnitus. The claims of reopening the claim for obstructive sleep apnea and service connection for asthma (including as due to exposure to particulate matter) are remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and remanded the claims of cervical spine, right hip, left knee, left ankle, and right ankle disabilities due to lack of evidence supporting current diagnoses.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear mixed hearing loss, right ear sensorineural hearing loss, and back disability are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss, finding no current disability in either case. The claim for tinnitus was granted as a chronic disease present during service.

The appeal is dismissed for the claims of bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, left leg amputation, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, sleep apnea, stroke, glaucoma, and cataracts. The remaining issues are remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's tinnitus is also granted as a separate issue. Both conditions are found to be related to his military service.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right leg disability, and left foot disability. The appeal for service connection of schizophrenia is granted.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to September 27, 2022, and a disability rating in excess of 10 percent from that date have both been denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an eye condition, to include glaucoma. The decision found that there was no current disability for VA purposes in the case of bilateral hearing loss and that the Veteran's statements regarding in-service incurrence were not credible in the case of his eye condition.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss is denied. The issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, and sleep apnea as secondary to an acquired psychiatric disability are remanded due to inconsistencies in the evidence and need further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the schedular criteria for TDIU prior to October 21, 2015. The Board found insufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility that he was unemployable solely because of his service-connected disabilities during this period.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss do not prevent him from securing or following any substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as a result of the PACT Act, effective August 10, 2022.,Right ear hearing loss and diabetes mellitus, type II are denied. The claim for bladder cancer was dismissed due to the PACT Act grant.,Left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for a right wrist disorder and a lumbar spine disorder. The Veteran's asthma is also granted on the basis of presumptive exposure to burn pits under the PACT Act.,Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities from March 19, 2020. The evidence shows that he was unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation because of his headaches, diabetes, and other disabilities.

All service connection claims for various conditions are dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military noise exposure.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current disability is not related to his active service and is more likely due to post-service noise exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to unclear audiogram results and potential malingering, requiring further clarification from a VA audiologist.