Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Board has dismissed the appeals for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as they are not currently under consideration due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as the appellant requested to withdraw his appeal.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the issues of entitlement to an increased rating for service-connected allergic rhinitis, and entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, chronic fatigue syndrome, and a right foot condition.

The Veteran's right ring finger disability is rated at the maximum noncompensable level due to traumatic arthritis, and his bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating prior to January 9, 2020. The Veteran's right knee disability has been rated based on limitation of motion.,The Veteran's right knee instability is separately rated at 10 percent.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss as the Veteran does not have a current disability of such disorder as defined by VA regulations and there is no recent diagnosis prior to his filing of a claim.

The Board denied a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on audiometric testing results.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's diagnosed condition is not related to his military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, and CAD due to new evidence received since the last final denial. The Veteran's claim for service connection is being reopened.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was evaluated at a 10 percent rating throughout the appeal period, and no higher rating is warranted based on the audiometric results provided.

The Veteran's tinnitus and right ear hearing loss are granted service connection. However, the Veteran does not have left ear hearing loss to a degree recognized as a disability.,Service connection is granted for the Veteran's right ear hearing loss, which preexisted his military service but was aggravated by it.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable under the VA rating schedule, with a pure tone threshold average of 46 decibels in the right ear and 45 decibels in the left ear. The Board finds that this does not warrant an increased rating.

The Veteran's initial increased rating claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied, with the Board finding that his disability did not warrant a higher evaluation prior to December 15, 2017, and only warranted a 20% evaluation thereafter.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate examination reports from previous VA examinations. The case will be returned for a new examination and medical opinion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is at least as likely as not related to in-service acoustic trauma, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection and rating of various conditions has been denied. The Board found no evidence to support the claims for bilateral hearing loss, plantar fasciitis, posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, glaucoma, cataracts, or allergic rhinitis.

The Board has determined that remand is necessary to address issues related to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and TDIU claims due to procedural errors in audiometric testing, lack of information regarding employment accommodations, and incomplete records.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable. The Board has remanded the cases for further development and opinion regarding service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, and erectile dysfunction due to exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence regarding their onset during active duty training (ACDUTRA).