Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess its current severity.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 30 percent since November 2, 2020. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for any period of time.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are etiologically related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to outstanding VA treatment records and employee health nursing notes.

The Board has granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis from October 30, 2017 to February 23, 2022 due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities preventing him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD) due to incomplete development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss, finding no current disability in either case. The decision is binding only with respect to the specific matters decided.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss as defined by VA regulation, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea has been granted. The issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. However, the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to insufficient evidence showing he is unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection. The Veteran's assertions include noise exposure during service, but there are conflicting medical records and missing service records.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is less likely than not incurred in or related to his active military service, including noise exposure. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for this condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability related to military service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient consideration of recent VA treatment records and the need for a new examination. The issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability remains pending.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of liver disorder, diabetes mellitus (DM), bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to the death of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss from June 25, 2015 to March 22, 2021 and a rating higher than 20 percent for bilateral hearing loss from March 23, 2021 to July 6, 2022 is being remanded due to the need for further development.