Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Veteran's service-connected prostate disability, hearing loss, PTSD, and right shoulder disability render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss, PTSD, and right shoulder injury have been granted service connection.,Other issues such as bilateral pes planus, left knee disability, right knee disability, low back disability, GERD, and service connection for right ear hearing loss are still pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension was reopened and granted due to presumed exposure to an herbicide agent in Vietnam.,Service connection was also granted for right ear hearing loss based on in-service acoustic trauma.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there is no evidence that his current condition is related to his military service, including exposure to loud noise. The VA examiner found no significant shift in hearing thresholds from entrance to separation.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the case for further development regarding bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted the petitions to reopen claims for service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder tendonitis, sinusitis, obstructive sleep apnea, a right ear hearing loss disability, back disability, left elbow disability, and left rib injury. Service connection is granted on de novo review.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder and bilateral hearing loss, finding no evidence of current disabilities or causation related to service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of a change in hearing during his active duty service and concluding that it is less likely than not related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral pes planus due to additional procedural development being required.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the effective date of his disability.

The Veteran's PTSD and bilateral hearing loss have been granted, with a TDIU effective November 6, 2017.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is service-connected on a direct basis due to noise exposure during military service, and thus grants the claim.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 40 percent prior to April 11, 2021 and at 60 percent thereafter. The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is being remanded for further evaluation to determine if it is related to service, specifically artillery noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the claim for further development due to conflicting opinions regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is aggravated by his service-connected tinnitus.

The case is being remanded due to errors overlooked in the previous remand. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to October 26, 2023, and in excess of 40 percent thereafter will be reconsidered with additional development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss was denied in March 2006. The Board has now remanded the case to obtain clarification on the adequacy of the July 2011 audiometric testing and to attempt to obtain medical records from his correctional facility regarding an audiogram requested in June 2020.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as it was incurred in service due to noise exposure during deployment.,The Veteran's low back condition is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to his active duty.

The appeal for the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hyperlipidemia, and restless leg syndrome; and an effective date earlier than December 12, 2017 for the award of service connection for lumbosacral strain is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's failure to attend a scheduled audiologic examination and because of changes in VA regulations related to toxic exposure risk activities (TERA). The Veteran is required to undergo an updated audiometric evaluation, obtain an opinion regarding his hearing loss etiology, and potentially receive a TERA opinion.