Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions, including back pain, inguinal hernias, anorexia, hiatal hernia, stomach issues, irregular heartbeat, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The claims are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to outstanding treatment records and potential SSA records. The Veteran's hearing loss claim will be reviewed again after obtaining these records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted. The case is remanded for further development regarding the rating of bipolar disorder with personality disorder, TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, and obtaining employment information.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to an inadequate addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran's in-service noise exposure is acknowledged, but the adequacy and review of the August 2022 VA examination are questioned.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability evaluation for bilateral hearing loss prior to February 12, 2020 was denied. The claim for a TDIU during the period from August 19, 2014 through January 2, 2022 was granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and an earlier effective date were denied. The Board found that new evidence did not support reopening the claim for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, and denied all other claims as well.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for vertigo and loss of equilibrium, increased rating for tinnitus, and earlier effective date for an increased rating of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss due to incomplete evaluations and potential CUE in previous decisions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected, with the hearing loss being related to combat exposure in Vietnam and the tinnitus being secondary to his hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral ear hearing loss, peripheral vestibular disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disability due to issues with the previous decisions and need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has not resulted in a compensable rating during the appeal period, and therefore his claim for an increased rating is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic left ankle instability, ankle arthritis, and chronically torn ligaments, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The decision is based on the Veteran's credible testimony regarding his in-service injuries and continuous symptoms since separation from service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that there is no current diagnosis of a right ear hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes.

The Board has found the VA examination to be too speculative and inconclusive, thus remanding for a new examination to determine if the Veteran's hearing loss is related to military service.

The appeals seeking service connection for various conditions have been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and low back disorder have been denied. The claim for skin cancer is remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate VA medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's tinnitus and hearing loss, as well as her service-connected migraine headaches. The case will be returned for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The hearing loss case is remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was evaluated as Level I in all VA and private audiometric evaluations, resulting in a noncompensable rating. The Board found the evidence against the claim for a compensable initial rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no direct link between his in-service noise exposure and his current hearing loss.