Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there was no evidence of a current disability, and the Veteran's claimed noise exposure in service did not result in permanent auditory damage.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current hearing loss is related to service. The VA will need to provide a new opinion on this issue.

The Board has granted a TDIU on an extra-schedular basis prior to February 11, 2022, finding that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of clarification on whether his hearing loss is conductive, sensorineural, or mixed. The VA examiner will be asked to provide an opinion on the relationship between the Veteran's hearing loss and submarine duty.

The Board has denied service connection for left ear hearing loss and hammertoes. The remaining issues have been remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus was denied in a November 2004 rating decision. The effective date of the grants of service connection is set at December 11, 2015.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss is denied as his audiometric test results have consistently shown Level I hearing acuity in the left ear, which does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for service connection for a thyroid disorder and the rating in excess of 30 percent for hearing loss, as the Veteran requested withdrawal of all issues.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, which is related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not etiologically related to his active service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional development. The Veteran's hearing loss claim is denied as there is no current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss. Other claims are also remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate compliance with previous remands and insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's right ear hearing loss.

The appeal for the hernia was dismissed. The appeals for cyst and/or knot on chest, bilateral hearing loss, and teeth are remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds no evidence to support a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's hearing loss and its relation to service. The claim will be reviewed again with a new medical opinion.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hypothyroidism, colon condition, hypertension, and vision loss as the evidence did not establish a nexus to service or any related exposure. The Veteran's conditions were found to be unrelated to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding no evidence to support a direct or secondary relationship between his current condition and military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and reliance on conflicting information in a medical study. The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss will be reviewed with a new VA examiner who must address these issues.

The Board has remanded the case to obtain VA medical records that were scanned into the Veteran's electronic health record but not associated with the claims file.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The hypertension claim was denied as the evidence did not show diastolic pressure predominantly 100 or more, nor systolic pressure predominantly 160 or more. For the lumbar spine condition, a 50 percent rating is granted due to unfavorable ankylosis of the thoracolumbar spine. The bilateral hearing loss and foot condition claims were also granted with specific ratings. Service connection for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy was established. However, TDIU prior to May 11, 2021, was denied.