Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his active duty service.

The Veteran was granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities, including chronic B-cell leukemia and other conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and TDIU due to incomplete development, including a lack of audiometric testing results from October 2015 and March 2018. The Veteran is also requested to appear for a DRO hearing and an examination related to his hearing loss.

The Board has decided to remand the claim for an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss due to missing audiometric test results from August 2017 and September 2021. The VA needs to obtain these records before final adjudication.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining a substantially gainful occupation prior to July 18, 2016.

The Board has previously remanded the claim for TDIU, and it is being remanded again due to the Veteran not submitting an updated VA Form 21-8940. The Veteran will be given another opportunity to submit this form.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to conflicting opinions in the medical evidence, particularly regarding the 2005 IOM study on delayed-onset hearing loss.

The Veteran's hearing loss disability has been rated at 40 percent from December 1, 2018 to July 28, 2021. The Board finds that a new VA examination is necessary due to the worsening of symptoms and lack of recent audiological evaluations.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been manifested by hearing acuity of no worse than Level I in the right ear and no worse than Level II in the left ear. The Board denied a compensable rating for his bilateral hearing loss as it did not meet the criteria based on the results of audiometric testing.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss before the Board could make a decision.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment, thus his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment as of January 29, 2020. The Board referred the issue of a TDIU rating prior to January 29, 2020 for consideration on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim of service connection for hearing loss. The case is now remanded for further development, including a VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss disability is related to his military service. The decision resolves all doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss should be remanded due to insufficient medical evidence and a need to obtain private treatment records.

Service connection for tinnitus and a persistent adjustment disorder is granted.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a recurrent gynecological disability to include endometriosis, and a recurrent headache disability are remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and an initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, finding that he did not have current disability of these conditions as defined by VA compensation standards.

The Board has remanded the cases of tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and seizures for further development. The Veteran's tinnitus is likely related to noise exposure during service. For bilateral hearing loss and seizures, additional medical opinions are needed.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for tinnitus and service connection for left ear hearing loss is remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right-shoulder disorder, but remanded issues regarding reopening of claims for lumbar-spine disorder and bilateral hearing loss.