Hearing loss decisions — 2023

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

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records, specifically missing audiogram results and other relevant treatment records. The Veteran's hearing loss disability is still under review.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have precluded him from securing or following substantially gainful employment prior to April 12, 2022. The Board granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis for this period.

The Board has found a procedural error in docketing the Veteran's appeal and is remanding for issuance of a statement of the case regarding the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen claims of entitlement to service connection for right shoulder, left shoulder, right ankle, and left ankle disorders.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is rated as noncompensable (0 percent), and the Board denied an increased rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is related to hazardous noise exposure during service and has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. His CAD rating is restored to 60 percent effective November 1, 2016. The right and left shoulder disorders are remanded for further examination. Service connection for hearing loss in the left ear is denied. Service connection for stroke, balance disorder, and cognitive disorder (presumably due to TBI) remains on appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed additional disabilities of right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and headaches as a result of his March 1998 VA surgery. The case is now pending for further development.

Service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, sleep apnea, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus is denied.,PTSD disability rating in excess of 70 percent is denied. Total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) is granted.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for long QT syndrome was denied as the evidence did not show more than four episodes of atrial fibrillation in a year, which is required for a higher disability rating.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied because the Veteran does not have auditory thresholds above 40 decibels or speech recognition scores below 94 percent, indicating no current disability as defined by VA regulations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is in need of personal care services for a minimum of six continuous months due to his severe hearing loss. The decision is remanded to determine if participation in the PCAFC program is in the Veteran's best interest.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no nexus between his current hearing disability and his active service. The Board noted that the Veteran did not have a hearing disability during service or within one year of separation, and that his in-service exposure to acoustic trauma did not result in a compensable degree of hearing loss.

An effective date of March 17, 2009, is granted for the grant of service connection for tinnitus. The issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an increased rating for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with meniscal tear are remanded.

The appeals for hearing loss, tinnitus, and a back disability are dismissed as the Veteran's claims were improperly docketed under the AMA.,The appeals for neck, left shoulder, right shoulder, left knee, and right knee disabilities are also dismissed due to improper docketing under the AMA.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection, but his bilateral hearing loss and left eyebrow scar are denied. The right hand condition, right knee condition, right ankle condition (claimed as secondary to right knee condition), and lumbar spine condition (claimed as secondary to right knee condition) are all remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for the grants of ratings for cervical strain, thoracolumbar strain, and bilateral hearing loss are being remanded due to a failure to obtain all treatment records from VHA's approval of the Veteran to seek treatment via the Veterans' Choice Program.,Specifically, the Board is requesting that VA attempt to obtain all treatment records generated from VHA's authorization for the Veteran to receive health care through the Veterans' Choice Program. These records are believed to contain relevant information pertaining to his service-connected psychiatric disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and right ear hearing loss, but denied service connection for left ear hearing loss. The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to in-service noise exposure, while his right ear hearing loss is also linked to military service. However, the evidence does not support a finding of current left ear hearing loss for VA purposes.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and right ear hearing loss, but denied service connection for left ear hearing loss. The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to in-service noise exposure, while his right ear hearing loss is also linked to military service. However, the evidence does not support a finding of current left ear hearing loss for VA purposes.

The Veteran's hearing loss in the left ear is not rated compensably, and his anxiety disorder and other specified recurrent depressive disorder are not rated higher than 70 percent. The claims for service connection of GERD and ED are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issues of increased evaluations for prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, and SMC for loss of creative organ.