Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, eye disorder (right eye injury), and tinnitus were dismissed. The Veteran's claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea was granted with a rating of 70 percent effective August 20, 2020. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD is denied.

The Veteran's appeals for a higher rating for left hip strain, an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for left hip strain, and for service connection for bilateral hearing loss have been dismissed.,Service connection for PTSD has been restored.

The Board has remanded the claims for posttraumatic stress disorder, right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, allergic rhinitis, bilateral foot condition, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, right knee pain, left knee pain, degenerative disc disease, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, sleep apnea, and benign prostatic hypertrophy due to incomplete service treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss has been denied.,The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for a vestibular disorder secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the onset and relationship of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss to his military service. The VA examiner needs to consider the converted audiometric data, threshold shifts between enlistment and separation, and the Veteran's lay statements.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that the Veteran's difficulty hearing began during his active military service and continued to worsen over time.

The Veteran's initial claim for hearing loss was granted, but a noncompensable rating was assigned. A subsequent increase to a 10 percent rating is granted from December 28, 2016.,An increased rating greater than 20 percent for post-operative left shoulder impingement and entitlement to TDIU prior to September 15, 2017 are both remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and left wrist shell fragment wound, resulted from a common etiology of combat injuries. His combined disability rating is 60%, meeting the schedular threshold for a TDIU. However, he is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. A new VA examination is needed to determine if his hearing loss began during service, was present within one year after discharge, or is related to noise exposure in service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and right shoulder disorder due to a lack of VA examination related to her right shoulder condition. The Veteran is also requested to provide any outstanding private or VA treatment records relevant to her claim.

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

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are due to noise exposure during active service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure or chronic symptoms post-service. The Veteran's current conditions are not linked to his military service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability and denied his claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied, while her claim for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome as secondary to generalized anxiety disorder was granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to service, granting his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to inadequate previous VA examinations and the need for a new evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for a left ankle disorder, right shoulder disorder, and bilateral hearing loss due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his military service. The Board noted that while the Veteran reported noise exposure during service, he did not seek treatment for hearing loss until after separation from service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the issue of hearing loss due to lack of evidence meeting VA disability criteria.