Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, coronary artery disease (CAD), and residuals of a mouth injury have been denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or service connection.,The Veteran's claim for obstructive sleep apnea has been remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion addressing whether it is at least as likely as not related to his service.

The Veteran's claim of an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss is remanded. The claim of service connection for hypertension as secondary to service-connected bilateral hearing loss remains on appeal and will be addressed with further development.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss should be remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding its etiology.

The Veteran's service connection claim for residuals of left knee gunshot wound is granted. However, his claims for bilateral toe fungus and right ear hearing loss are denied.,The Veteran was granted service connection for the residuals of a left leg/left knee GSW but denied service connection for bilateral toe fungus and right ear hearing loss.

The Board dismissed the appeal for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss from July 9, 2018, as the Veteran requested withdrawal of his appeal prior to the decision.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and OSA as secondary to service-connected disabilities based on substitution. Service connection was granted for tinnitus based on substitution.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss but remanded the issue of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of his hearing loss disabilities due to incomplete development, including a lack of records from his separation examination and potential inconsistencies in audiometry results. The Veteran is also being asked to provide any missing service treatment records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a bilateral hearing loss disability, left wrist disability, and hypertension due to insufficient evidence in their current evaluations. The Veteran is required to undergo further examinations to determine if he meets the criteria for service connection and to assess the severity of his disabilities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, finding that it does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating based on the audiometric test results.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete verification of the Veteran's periods of active duty for training (ADT) and inactive duty for training (IDT).

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus (to include as secondary to hearing loss) are granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, tinnitus, a low back disability, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are remanded.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is granted as service connected.,There is no evidence of left ear hearing loss for VA compensation purposes.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, cervical spine disorder, and lumbar spine disorder due to procedural issues and the need for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss is service-connected, as there was credible evidence of in-service noise exposure and a current disability. The Board found that the Veteran's statements about experiencing hearing loss at separation were credible, and thus established service connection for his left ear hearing loss.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further evaluation due to inadequate reasoning in a previous VA examination and because both right ear and left ear hearing loss need to be evaluated together.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and compliance with proper notice requirements.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, left knee disability, right knee disability, second finger of the left hand disability, and TBI.,Further development is required to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities.