Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and TDIU due to incomplete development. The Veteran needs a new VA examination to assess his bilateral hearing loss, including any associated balance issues.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for an ear disability, other than hearing loss and tinnitus, due to a lack of response to scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran is asked to provide evidence that his ear pain complaints constitute a separate disability from his service-connected hearing loss and/or tinnitus.

The Board has dismissed the appeals as the appellant died during the pendency of these claims.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and the need for a new VA examination. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is still being considered.

The Veteran's hearing loss has worsened since the last VA examination, and a remand is needed to assess its current severity.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,Service connection for residual neck surgical scars is granted.,Service connection for right foot disability is denied.,The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral eye disabilities (glaucoma, right eye cataract, left eye pseudophakia).

Your appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death. The Board does not have jurisdiction to proceed with this matter.

The Board has reopened the claims for right shoulder, left shoulder, kidney disability (secondary to herbicide exposure), low back disability, bilateral hearing loss, and hypertension. However, service connection was not granted for any of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss disability is due to acoustic trauma sustained during his military service.

The Board has remanded the cases of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus for further development due to incomplete examination records.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, to include depression, is granted.,Service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are both established. The Veteran also has service-connected obstructive sleep apnea.,Right shoulder disability, right heel spur, and right knee condition (secondary) have been granted.,Service connection for a right knee condition remains pending as it was remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear and left ear hearing loss, finding that there was no current diagnosis of hearing loss disability in either ear and that any noise exposure during service did not result in a hearing loss condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, right ear hearing loss disability, and vertigo have been denied due to lack of current diagnoses.,Service connection has also been denied for hypertension, kidney disease, diabetes mellitus type II, bilateral upper extremity and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and a cardiovascular disorder (including CAD).,The Veteran's claim for entitlement to total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) has also been denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA audiological examination to evaluate the nature and likely etiology of the claimed bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea, shortness of breath, headaches, and shoulder, neck, lumbar spine, and leg disabilities, should be remanded due to lack of reliable audiometric testing results and need for further examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety), right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, back disorder, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his active duty service.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee disability, left knee disability, and bilateral hearing loss. The case is remanded for additional development regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for acquired psychiatric disability and hypertension, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected traumatic brain injury (TBI).,Regarding bilateral hearing loss, the Board finds a remand necessary due to conflicting opinions on its etiology.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran needs VA examinations to assess his current disability levels and determine if he is unemployable due to his conditions.

The Board denied an initial compensable disability evaluation for service-connected left-ear hearing loss, finding the Veteran's hearing acuity did not meet criteria for a compensable rating.