Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Veteran's bilateral leg disorder is granted as secondary to his service-connected stroke.,There is no current evidence of right ear hearing loss meeting VA criteria for a disability.

The Board has determined that the claims for post traumatic headaches, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left shoulder strain, right shoulder strain, shin splits (right lower extremity), and shin splits (left lower extremity) need to be remanded due to new evidence being added to the record.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss but denied service connection for right ear hearing loss. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is related to in-service noise exposure, while his right ear hearing loss does not meet VA criteria for a disability.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is granted service connection, while right ear hearing loss and sleep apnea are denied. The initial rating for a psychiatric disorder remains at 30% from February 17, 2012 to January 12, 2018.

The Veteran's skin cancer is granted as service-connected due to exposure to herbicide agents. The rating for CAD prior to October 28, 2019, and the rating for bilateral hearing loss are both denied.

The Veteran's hypothyroidism is presumed to be related to his in-service herbicide agent exposure. The Board granted service connection for this condition. Service connection for an ear condition, including bilateral hearing loss and left ear pain, is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD are being remanded due to the need for new examinations and additional records.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that it is directly related to noise exposure during his active military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis, finding that his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear and left ear hearing loss, finding no current disability of either condition for VA purposes. The Board also found that there is insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between any current hearing loss and military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development and need for additional medical opinions. The Veteran's hearing loss is being reviewed again with new evidence and a different VA examiner.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss disability were denied. The Board found that there was no evidence of a nexus between the current disabilities and service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability and that any hearing loss found during service did not meet VA criteria for clinical hearing loss. The Board also noted that the Veteran had conceded noise exposure in service but concluded that his hearing loss is not related to this exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was initially rated noncompensable prior to August 4, 2017. From August 4, 2017 to October 28, 2019, he received a 10% rating for his bilateral hearing loss. After October 28, 2019, the Veteran's hearing loss was rated as noncompensable. The Board also granted TDIU from July 18, 2017 to May 3, 2018.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, residuals of misdiagnosed urinary tract infection, and erectile dysfunction due to inadequate medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran contends that his current conditions are related to service exposure to noise and/or a misdiagnosis in service.

The Veteran's initial ratings for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are denied. The case is remanded to issue a Statement of the Case regarding the issues.

The Veteran's hepatitis C and hair loss claims are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.,The Veteran's OSA claim is remanded as the examiner failed to consider her prior sleep disturbances.,The Veteran's hypertension claim is remanded because the examiner did not provide a rationale for denying secondary service connection.,The Veteran's gastrointestinal disorder claim is remanded due to insufficient consideration of medical literature cited by the Veteran’s representative.,The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus claims are remanded as the examination results were inconsistent and the examiner failed to address relevant medical literature.,The Veteran's dizziness claim is remanded because the examiner did not consider whether her dizziness was a symptom of her service-connected headache disability or a separate disorder.,The Veteran's cervical spine, left hand, bilateral shoulder, hip, knee, and foot disabilities claims are all remanded due to inadequate examination reports that failed to address relevant medical literature and symptoms.

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 Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and increased ratings for right and left upper extremity neuropathy due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and the need for a new examination to determine if the Veteran currently has bilateral hearing loss disability related to her active service.