Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The reduction of the rating for cirrhosis of the liver to include hepatitis C from 60 percent to 10 percent, effective July 1, 2021, was improper and the 60 percent rating is restored. The Board also found that there were issues with service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, left shoulder disability, and eye disability due to incomplete service treatment records.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to a duty to assist error. A new opinion is needed to assess the combined effect of his service-connected disabilities on his employment.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that new evidence received after a previous denial supports the claim and resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and heart disability are service-connected, but a higher rating is denied. The TDIU claim is granted.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is remanded as the VA examination report did not address its relationship to active service.

The Board has decided that service connection for tinnitus is granted, but the decision on bilateral hearing loss remains pending and requires further review.

The Veteran's appeal for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected tinnitus is dismissed. The claim of entitlement to a compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted, with service connection established. The Board found that the evidence was in approximate balance regarding whether these conditions are due to military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions due to the Veteran's failure to report for VA examinations. The issues of service connection are now pending and will be addressed by the AOJ.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a missing audiogram that was previously noted in the record. The Veteran's right ear hearing loss claim will be reconsidered with this new information.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU rating, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service connection for tinnitus is granted, but his claims for bilateral hearing loss and a rating in excess of 30 percent for right upper extremity ulnar neuropathy are remanded. The Veteran also has pending claims for left knee disability, right knee disability, migraine headaches, and neck disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss is denied as there is no current disability meeting the VA criteria.,The claims for peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, left upper extremity, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity are remanded due to incomplete service records and potential inconsistencies in the Veteran's DD Form 214 and Service Personnel Records.,The claim for an acquired psychiatric disability (claimed as mood swings and/or depression) is remanded due to incomplete service records and potential inconsistencies in the Veteran's DD Form 214 and Service Personnel Records.,The claims for lower back disability and skin disability are remanded due to incomplete service records and potential inconsistencies in the Veteran's DD Form 214 and Service Personnel Records.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected as there is no evidence of these conditions during or immediately after service, nor any indication that they began in service.,Service connection for right shoulder disability, right foot disability, and left knee disability was denied due to lack of current diagnoses.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is not rated higher than 0 percent, as the evidence does not show a compensable degree of impairment.,The Veteran's emphysema has been rated at 30 percent since January 2021. The VA examiner found that his FEV-1/FVC test result most closely approximates a 30 percent rating.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the current diagnoses are not causally or etiologically related to service. The claims were based on noise exposure during service but no significant shift in hearing thresholds was noted.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been submitted to warrant readjudication of the claims for service connection for lower gastrointestinal distress with diarrhea, bilateral hearing loss, and right shoulder disability.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of left and right knee disorders, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus as they were filed in a legacy system.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, finding no causal relationship between his in-service noise exposure and current hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability rating was reduced from 20% to 0%, but the Board restored it back to 20% effective January 1, 2019.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD), and bilateral hearing loss were denied.,No effective date prior to August 13, 2018 was granted as the claim was not received by VA before that date.