Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current tinnitus is etiologically related to his military service. However, the Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of evidence showing a current disability as defined by VA regulations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his hearing loss claims, including obtaining VA and private audiogram results.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are granted. The Board finds new and material evidence to support the reopening of his claims for back condition, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and erectile dysfunction.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been reopened, and both conditions are now granted. The appeal is also granted for the evaluation of left shoulder tendonitis and left clavicle spur, lumbar spondylosis and osteophytosis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), uterine fibroids, migraines, hypertension, residual scar from ventral hernia repair, anxiety, memory loss, sleep disturbances, knee disorder, and fibromyalgia. The appeal is remanded for further evaluations and determinations on these issues.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and need for further medical opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives and further development is necessary.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for severe sensori-neural hearing loss as new and material evidence was not presented, and the claim was previously denied due to lack of nexus between active service and the condition.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability. Service connection for tinnitus is granted, with the Board finding continuity of symptomatology since service.,Service connection for an eye disorder is denied due to lack of evidence linking any current condition to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and an eye disability, other than cataracts due to insufficient opinions regarding exposure to herbicide agents, prescribed medications, and delayed onset hearing loss.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability related to his active military service.

The Board has decided that a remand is required to assess the severity of the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability, as auditory steady state response testing was unavailable at the VA facility.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and has remanded the issues of hearing loss, left shin splints, right shin splints, and low back disability.

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

The Veteran's claims for increased rating of right elbow scar, service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were denied. The decision also noted that the Veteran did not submit new and material evidence to reopen his claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeals for higher initial ratings for PTSD, increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for ischemic heart disease have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew from appeal these issues.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new and material evidence having been submitted, as well as the right ankle condition secondary claim. The Veteran will receive an SOC in response to his NOD.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at a 10 percent prior to August 22, 2022 and at a 20 percent since then.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the lack of available audiograms from March 12, 2016, to the present date.

The Board has decided to remand the cases due to inadequate compliance with previous remands and the need for another VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as 10 percent prior to June 7, 2022, and denied for a compensable rating since that date.,Service connection for the lumbar spine disorder, left upper extremity neuropathy, and bilateral lower extremity disability (including knee strain) are remanded.