Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and conducting examinations to assess the Veteran's hearing loss, migraine headaches, PTSD, and left hip disability. The effective date of service connection remains unresolved.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss but granted service connection for tinnitus. The denial is based on the lack of evidence linking the current hearing loss to in-service noise exposure, while the grant is due to the Veteran's credible reports of continuous tinnitus since service.

The Board has withdrawn the claim for service connection for asthma and has remanded the claims for residuals of skin melanoma, bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and unspecified depressive disorder), and loss of erectile power due to an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal regarding the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss before a decision was made.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, generalized anxiety disorder, GERD, sleep apnea syndromes, and hypertension due to incomplete service records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension has been reopened and granted, with the presumption of exposure to herbicide agents under the PACT Act.,Service connection is also granted for diabetes mellitus, but a higher rating than 40 percent is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to inadequate VA examination and unclear communication with the Veteran regarding private treatment records.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral foot disorder and bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of a pre-existing condition or aggravation during active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not by themselves cause him to require aid and assistance in accomplishing the activities of daily living and render him unable to protect himself from the hazards and dangers of his daily environment. Therefore, SMC based on the need for aid and attendance is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and TBI has been reopened, but the claims are denied as there is no current disability found to meet the criteria for these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss as there was no evidence of a hearing disability within the period on appeal.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, lumbar strain, headaches (claimed as PTSD), and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and insufficient examination reports. The claims will be reviewed again with additional evidence and examinations.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is being remanded for additional audiogram records to be obtained from his VA medical records.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and right shoulder disorder were granted service connection as they are considered to have been incurred during their active duty.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) prior to July 25, 2014, finding that the Veteran was not unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment due to her service-connected disabilities until then.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss but granted service connection for tinnitus, both related to military noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal to reopen a claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted. The Board has also remanded the claims for service connection and rating for his left knee disability due to outstanding records and further examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, thus denying his claim for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hepatitis due to new evidence submitted. The claims are remanded for further development, including obtaining VA examination reports and treatment records.