Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the severity and manifestations of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss over the entire course of the appeal period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and granted for left ear hearing loss, acquired psychiatric disability (variously diagnosed to include chronic adjustment disorder and unspecified depressive disorder), left foot disability, and bilateral knee disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there is no evidence of a current disability (hearing loss) for VA purposes.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to a lack of response from the Veteran or his representative regarding additional evidence added to the claims file since the last SSOC.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and remanded the issues of service connection for a heart disorder, including chronic ischemic heart disease, and hypertension.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss should be evaluated at 20 percent, but remands for further examination and evidence collection.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to new evidence raising the possibility of delayed onset hearing loss, which has not been considered by previous VA medical opinions.

The Veteran's sleep apnea was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and the current disability is not related to an in-service event, injury, or disease.,The Veteran does not have a hearing loss disability for VA purposes based on his June 2017 audiometry results.,The Veteran's migraines with dizzy spells are not related to service. The examiner found no evidence of migraine symptoms during service and noted that the Veteran's symptoms were more consistent with allergies.,The Veteran's chip fracture of the right fifth mid phalanx is currently rated at 10 percent, but a higher rating is denied as there is no evidence of severe foot injury or actual loss of use of the foot.

The Board has denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current condition is not related to his military service or service-connected tinnitus. The March 2017 VA examiner provided a thorough explanation of why the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is not related to noise exposure during service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and diabetes mellitus due to insufficient evidence in their favor. The Veteran will need to undergo a VA examination or telehealth interview to determine if his conditions are related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus for further evaluation due to an inadequate VA examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was rated at 0 percent, as the audiometric results did not meet criteria for a compensable rating.,The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a right radial head fracture disability was denied as there was no communication prior to September 7, 2010 that could be construed as a formal or informal claim.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were both denied due to the lack of evidence of current disabilities during the pendency of the claims.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for right ear hearing loss disability has been dismissed as the Veteran and his representative have withdrawn their appeal.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to fully and fairly consider the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right knee disability, left knee disability, and an evaluation in excess of 70 percent for his service-connected psychiatric disabilities. The AOJ must obtain all relevant records, ensure that the Veteran's VR&E file is associated with the claims file, schedule appropriate VA examinations to assess the nature and etiology of the claimed conditions, and readjudicate the issues.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's right ear hearing loss and his in-service noise exposure. The Veteran is seeking service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, migraine headaches, and bilateral hearing loss have been granted. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has been denied, and the Board has remanded the service connection claim for a bilateral ankle disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back condition, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service. The Board also denied an initial compensable evaluation and a disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss from August 19, 2022.,The Veteran's lay statements were not given significant weight as he is not competent to provide medical opinions regarding the etiology of his low back condition. The Board found that there was no evidence showing a direct link between his service and his current low back condition.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee pain but has remanded the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence.