Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the claims for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and TDIU due to outstanding VA treatment records. The Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD is also being remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to the Veteran not having a current disability. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for a bilateral wrist disorder.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate opinion regarding the etiology of right ear hearing loss. The Veteran's active duty and National Guard service are conceded, but there is a need for additional evidence or clarification from the examiner.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy (left hip), left hip disability, left ankle disability, and left foot disability are all granted. The claim for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD) is also granted.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss is remanded due to the failure of the RO to request and associate specific audiometric test findings from VA appointments conducted in January 2015 and January 2016 with the claims file.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, carpal tunnel syndrome, left shoulder condition, and back condition. The claims are being remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues related to his service-connected conditions, including hypertension, PTSD with cognitive disorder, sinusitis, knee disorders, allergic rhinitis, cerebral infarction residuals secondary to moyamoya disease, and right upper extremity disabilities. The Board has determined that additional development is needed for these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea. The remaining issues on appeal (gout affecting the elbows, gout affecting the feet, and bilateral hearing loss) are remanded due to procedural errors.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and denied service connection for right ear hearing loss. The claim for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for bilateral pes planus is remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is proximately caused by or aggravated by his service-connected rhinitis. The Veteran must provide updated treatment records and undergo a new addendum opinion from a qualified examiner.

The Board's decision granting service connection for bilateral hearing loss is vacated due to an error in the inclusion of records from another veteran with the same name. The case is remanded for further evaluation and potential new evidence.

The Board has denied a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the service connection claim for a peripheral vestibular disorder. The case is now pending with instructions to obtain an addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran's balance issues are secondary to his tinnitus.

The Veteran and his attorney have withdrawn the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss before a decision was made by the Board.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, TBI, left ankle disability, and PTSD have all been denied as there is no persuasive evidence of current disabilities or a causal relationship to service.,Service connection has not been established for any of the conditions listed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment from March 2016 to November 24, 2019.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it is proximately due to or the result of service-connected disorders. The earlier effective dates for various conditions have been remanded.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus and denied for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and hernia operation. The case is remanded for a VA examination to address the Veteran's claim of delayed-onset bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional records and development. The Board acknowledges that some of his conditions may be related to in-service exposures, but further examination is needed.

The Board denied service connection for migraine headaches, a lumbar spine disability (bulging disc), a right knee disability, residuals of a left knee injury, and bilateral hearing loss as there was no evidence of current disabilities or in-service injuries that could be linked to these conditions.