Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issues of service connection for lumbar spine disorder, psychiatric disorder, nerve impingement of the legs, right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, and left foot disorder. The issues are inextricably intertwined with the issue of service connection for lumbar spine disorder.

The Board has found that the Veteran's service records cannot be located and that there are no relevant post-service medical treatment records. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cervical spine disability, right inguinal hernia, memory loss due to concussion, bilateral shoulder disability, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and bilateral knee disability are remanded for further development.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeal for bilateral hearing loss disability. The Veteran was granted service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding service connection and initial compensable ratings for left ear hearing loss and right ear hearing loss due to a withdrawal request by the Veteran's authorized representative.

The Board has granted entitlement to special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance, but the issue of housebound status is moot due to this grant. The appeal for a higher rating for PTSD is remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability, at its worst, is rated as Level I in both ears. The Board denied the claim for an initial compensable rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been remanded due to the submission of new evidence. The Board found that there is sufficient evidence to readjudicate these claims, but the medical opinions provided were deemed inadequate.

The Board has found that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus had onset during active service or are otherwise causally connected to his service. The VA failed to provide a proper examination, as required by law, which prevented an accurate determination of these issues. As such, the case must be remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors in the previous VA examination, specifically regarding the Veteran's MOS as a wireman cable system installer.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on these issues have been dismissed as the claims were withdrawn by his representative.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is etiologically related to acoustic trauma sustained in active service and grants entitlement to service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence to support a causal relationship between his current hearing loss and military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and in-service noise exposure. The Veteran had normal auditory thresholds at entrance and separation, and there were no significant threshold shifts during service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the issue of bilateral hearing loss disability due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors and need for a medical opinion.

The Board has decided to remand the service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, right knee disability, left knee disability, right hand disability, and low back disability due to new evidence submitted since the last rating decision.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and gunshot wound residuals due to incomplete or missing service records, requiring a VA examination to determine their etiology.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that it is at least as likely as not incurred during service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The claims of entitlement to service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, low back disability, left foot disability, and right foot disability are remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral foot, hearing loss, and left knee disabilities were not incurred during service. The low back disability was found to be related to service. The case is remanded for further development.

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 acoustic trauma, while his right ear hearing loss meets the VA disability criteria. However, there is no evidence of a current left ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes.