Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for hearing loss of the right ear has been denied as his hearing acuity in the right ear is consistently at Level I, warranting a zero percent rating.

The Veteran's tinnitus is service connected, and he has a current diagnosis of hypertension. The gastrointestinal condition (IBS and GERD) and psychiatric disability are not service connected. Right knee, left knee, right shoulder, low back, and left middle finger conditions remain on appeal.,Further evaluations are needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's gastrointestinal condition, psychiatric disability, and lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.

The Board has decided that a remand is necessary due to the Veteran not showing up for VA examinations and lack of proper notification. The case will be returned to the RO for further action.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records. The TDIU claim will be reconsidered.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was found to be no worse than Level II in the right ear and Level III in the left ear, warranting a noncompensable (0 percent) rating. The Veteran also met the schedular criteria for assignment of a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a low back condition, bilateral knee and foot conditions, left ear hearing loss, an eye condition (dry eye syndrome), a skin condition (psoriasis), a thyroid condition, an acquired psychiatric disorder, a left parapharyngeal space mass, a salivary gland disorder, and bilateral tenosynovitis of the wrists.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are currently pending due to remand orders.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the left ankle disability. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is denied as there was no evidence of hearing loss during service or thereafter.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's current hearing loss disability is related to noise exposure during service. The decision resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown as chronic in service, did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period, and were not noted in service with attributable continuity of symptomatology. The Board finds that the Veteran's current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus began decades after his active military service and have not been attributed to his service.,The Veteran was diagnosed with dementia by the VA Medical Center in November 2020, which is prior to his death. The examiner must provide an opinion on whether the dementia at least as likely as not (i.e., the likelihood is at least approximately balanced or nearly equal, if not higher) related to service, including the Veteran's in-service diagnosis and treatment for a sexually transmitted disease in December 1956.

The Board has restored the Veteran's 100 percent disability rating for bilateral hearing loss, effective December 1, 2013. The reduction in the disability rating was improper due to a failure to follow proper procedural requirements.

The Veteran withdrew the appeal of his service connection claims for hearing loss and kidney disease, resulting in their dismissal.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development and an addendum medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed TBI disability, as well as a VA audiological examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has decided to remand the issue of service connection for hearing loss due to missing audiological examination results and scheduling issues. A new VA examination is needed.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current condition did not have its onset during or be related to his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a lumbar spine disability, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was no greater than Level I for both the right and left ear, resulting in a denial of an initial compensable rating.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has denied service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no current disability or in-service incurrence. Service connection is also denied for residuals of TBI, speech disorder, learning disorder, and balance problems due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a heart condition and bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.