Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including for lower back disability, ankle disabilities, knee disabilities, and wrist disabilities. The reasons for remand include the need for additional medical opinions due to insufficient nexus opinions.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted an initial rating of 50 percent, effective September 23, 2022. The left ear hearing loss remains denied and the right foot onychomycosis, bilateral knee condition, and bilateral foot condition (to include pes planus) are remanded for further review.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder with bipolar II disorder is granted a 70 percent disability rating, but no higher. The other service-connected conditions are denied.

The Veteran's claims for joint pain (arthritis), vision problem, bilateral hearing loss, respiratory disorder, chronic gastritis, liver cancer, prostate cancer, and urinary incontinence are being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding herbicide exposure.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of February 20, 2015 for service connection of lumbar spine IVDS. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to inadequate examination.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including sacroiliac dysfunction, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus, have prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment since March 3, 2010. The Board has granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis for this period.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to September 1, 2021 is denied. An initial 10 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss from September 1, 2021 onward is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD does not render him unemployable prior to September 9, 2021. The evidence shows he was able to perform some employment despite his psychiatric symptoms.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and TDIU due to incomplete development. Specifically, clarification is needed regarding the type of word list used during a private examination in July 2009 at Lutheran Medical Center.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss but dismissed the claim for headaches, to include as secondary to service-connected sinusitis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted a non-compensable rating for PFB with scars, effective September 28, 2017. The decision also noted that the Veteran has not met the criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 7822 due to lack of systemic therapy.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and increased rating of migraine headaches, bilateral hearing loss disability, back disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability. The Veteran's claim for an initial 30 percent rating prior to September 20, 2016, for migraine headaches is granted. The Board also remanded the claims for service connection and increased ratings of these conditions.

The Board has dismissed the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened, but the claim remains denied.,Service connection was not granted for bilateral flatfeet and left ear hearing loss due to lack of evidence showing a current disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss is at least as likely as not related to his active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded four issues related to the Veteran's claims for service connection and initial rating determinations. These include right ear sensorineural hearing loss, left ear sensorineural hearing loss, a neck disability (claimed as C Disc), and residuals of a traumatic brain injury.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities, finding insufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility that he is unemployable.

The Veteran's hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable prior to March 31, 2022, and a rating in excess of 10 percent thereafter. The issue of an increased rating for PTSD is remanded.,The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50% prior to August 9, 2021, and the issue of an increased rating beyond this level is also remanded.,The issue of entitlement to a TDIU is also remanded.