Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU on an extraschedular basis, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining a substantially gainful occupation prior to September 22, 2016.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, claimed as PTSD, was denied because there is no current diagnosis of PTSD or other acquired mental disorder.,Service connection for right ear hearing loss was also denied due to the absence of a current disability. The Veteran does not have right ear hearing loss for VA purposes.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was granted, as she testified that her symptoms began during active duty due to noise exposure from working around airplane engines.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied because the Veteran does not have a current disability meeting VA criteria.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, when considered together, render him unable to maintain gainful employment.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim should be remanded for further action, including obtaining private medical records and providing an addendum opinion.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are due to in-service loud noise exposure. The claims were initially denied on the merits but have now been granted based on continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus with an effective date of April 1, 2019. The Veteran also received eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) and TDIU.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of evidence showing the presence of a current disability. The case is remanded for further development and examination regarding tinnitus.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed as there was no clear and unmistakable error in a prior rating decision, and new evidence submitted did not change the outcome.

The appeal for service connection for myopia, bilateral hearing loss, and Meniere's disease has been dismissed. The Veteran withdrew her appeal of the claim for myopia at a Board hearing prior to the promulgation of a decision. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no current disability meeting VA criteria. Service connection for Meniere's disease/vertigo was remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the inadequacy of a VA opinion regarding the onset and relationship of his current hearing loss disability to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the appeal for an initial compensable rating has been denied.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss did not meet the definition of a disability for VA purposes at his most recent VA examination in 2017. The Board has ordered another VA examination to determine if the Veteran's right ear hearing loss now meets the definition of a disability for VA purposes.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional examination and opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's hearing loss, tinnitus, and acquired psychiatric condition and his service. The issues of service connection are being reconsidered.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a chronic condition during service. The examiner concluded that the current hearing loss is not related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including a VA examination to assess the Veteran's left knee disability post-surgery and another VA examination to determine the severity of his thoracolumbar spine disability. The hearing loss claim is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development, including obtaining a new VA examination and opinion to address the Veteran's service connection claims. The claims are currently pending.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The right knee and right shoulder disabilities are remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, OSA, and diabetes mellitus due to conflicting evidence regarding their onset during active duty or within one year after separation.,Service connection cannot be established as there is no showing that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active duty service.