Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete STRs and inadequate VA examination.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been granted service connection as they are related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected. The respiratory and stomach conditions, as well as bilateral hearing loss, are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's exposure to extremely hazardous levels of combat noise during his military service caused these conditions.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding various disability ratings and other claims before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,The Veteran's claims for residuals of scar, left hand (claimed as a result of a spider bite), vertigo, infertility, gout, back spasms, and left toe condition are remanded due to the need for further medical examination and opinion regarding their etiology.,Service connection will not be granted for these conditions without additional evidence linking them to service.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as there is no persuasive evidence that these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that it is related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate examination and failure to consider lay evidence.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims of entitlement to an initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss and service connection for right ear hearing loss need further development due to the need for new VA examinations.

Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and ankle condition is dismissed.,An effective date prior to September 14, 2018, for the grant of service connection for IBS is denied.,The claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, respiratory condition, and chronic fatigue syndrome are reopened. Service connection for allergic rhinitis is granted.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is granted, subject to the laws and regulations governing the award of monetary benefits.,Service connection for allergic rhinitis is granted, subject to the laws and regulations governing the award of monetary benefits.,The claims for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome and respiratory condition are remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete audiometric records and a need for further examination of the Veteran's left ear hearing loss.

The Board dismissed the appeal regarding COPD. The appeals to reopen service connection for headaches and hearing loss were granted, with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including migraine headaches, exercise-induced asthma, lumbago with L3-L4 disc herniation, cervical spine strain post-fusion C5-C6 with disc bulging and stenosis, bilateral plantar fasciitis and calcaneal spurs left heel, noncompensable right ear hearing loss, prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to September 20, 2021. The Board granted the Veteran's claim for an extraschedular TDIU during this period.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for various disabilities and compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for colon cancer.

The Board has granted service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, both of which are related to noise exposure during service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the 50 percent rating of sinusitis is denied. The Board found that there was no evidence to support a factually ascertainable increase in disability within one year prior to her ITF, and thus, she is not entitled to an earlier effective date.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of left ear hearing loss and has not had one at any time during the pendency of the claim or recent to the filing of the claim.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient examination and opinion regarding service connection. The Veteran must be presumed sound at enlistment, and further examination is needed.