Hearing loss decisions — 2023

Right ear hearing loss has been granted service connection.,A compensable rating for hemorrhoids is denied.,A 10 percent rating for hepatitis C from July 1, 2000 to May 3, 2022 is granted.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for hepatitis C after May 3, 2022 remains pending.

The Board has remanded the claims for sleep apnea and bilateral hearing loss due to additional medical inquiry, including new examinations.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable disability rating for sensorineural hearing loss, right ear is dismissed.,The petition to reopen the claim of service connection for erectile dysfunction is granted and it is determined that his erectile dysfunction is proximately due to service-connected coronary artery disease.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing VA audiograms from specific dates. The claim for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss is now pending and will be reconsidered.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and a psychiatric condition, including PTSD. The decision found that there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure leading to current right ear hearing loss or any link between the Veteran's current mental health conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ingrown toenails, bilateral hearing loss, internal bleeding, acid reflux, neck disability, and low back disability has been denied.,There is no evidence of a current diagnosis or impairment related to these conditions. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of ingrown toenails, bilateral hearing loss, internal bleeding, acid reflux, neck disability, or low back disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private medical records, SSA disability records, and a VA examination to assess the Veteran's employability due to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran is seeking TDIU based on his service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's hearing loss disability was evaluated as 0 percent disabling. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet criteria for a compensable rating based on his audiometric results.

The Veteran's hearing loss was evaluated as Level II in the right ear and Level VII in the left ear, resulting in a 10% disability rating. The Board denied an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is found to have started during service and has been continuous since then, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disability, a disability manifested by pain in throat, and insomnia. Additional medical records are needed from VA facilities, and attempts should be made to obtain military personnel and service treatment records from the Tennessee Army National Guard.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including allergic rhinitis, hearing loss, and prostate cancer residuals, have rendered him unemployable since May 1, 2014. The Board finds the evidence approximately balanced as to whether his service-connected conditions meet the criteria for TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability due to non-compliance with prior remand orders.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to errors in the audiological reports and ambiguities in the record. The Board will obtain a new addendum audiological examination, review of the existing records, and expert opinion to address these issues.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for right ear hearing loss and a compensable disability rating for left ear hearing loss.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a total disability based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) and higher ratings for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss due to additional development being necessary, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and conducting a new examination of his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine is granted service connection.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there was no exceptional pattern of hearing impairment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and effective dates have been denied. His bilateral hearing loss claim is not granted, his left testicular torsion status post bilateral orchiopexies with residual scar claim has an effective date of April 7, 2014, his erectile dysfunction claim has an effective date of August 26, 2016, and his SMC based on loss of use of a creative organ is granted as of that same date. His rating for erectile dysfunction remains noncompensable.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as 20 percent disabling from September 2, 2022 onwards. The Board denied a higher rating for the period prior to that date.