Hearing loss decisions — 2023

Your appeal for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed as you have expressed satisfaction with the April 2023 decision that granted a 30 percent rating and requested to withdraw all other issues.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension based on the PACT Act, but remanded other issues due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's tinnitus and hearing loss have been rated at the maximum available under VA regulations, so no increased ratings are granted.,Service connection for diabetes is remanded as there is insufficient evidence to establish a link between the condition and service or toxic exposure risk activities (TERA).,Service connection for sleep apnea, headaches, hypertension, and alcohol abuse secondary to diabetes is also remanded due to insufficient evidence.,The Veteran's claims are not granted because the medical evidence does not support a causal relationship between these conditions and his service-connected diabetes.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right ankle disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to inadequate medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the remaining issues on appeal, including obtaining service treatment and personnel records from the Veteran's National Guard service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and a neck/cervical spine disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and evaluation. The claim for a back disorder is also being remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, but the claims for chronic sinusitis, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are remanded due to conflicting medical evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current condition is causally linked to his in-service hazardous noise exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, lumbar spine condition, and sleep apnea. The Veteran will need to undergo new VA examinations to determine the current severity of his bilateral hearing loss without his hearing aids, assess the nature and etiology of his lumbar spine condition, and obtain a medical opinion regarding the relationship between his sleep apnea and service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as they are related to service, but a new examination is needed to address the Veteran's reports of symptom onset and progression.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss prior to August 22, 2022 was rated as Level I in the right ear and Level II in the left ear. The Board found that this did not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, but granted service connection for her tinnitus.

The Veteran's service connection claim for hearing loss is denied. The Board has also remanded the issues of increased ratings for back, left knee, left foot, and right foot disabilities due to inadequate examination findings.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and neck/upper back disability have been denied. The case is remanded for further examination to determine the nature of the Veteran's neck condition and any acquired psychiatric disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a determination regarding SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another.

The Board has found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is related to his active-duty service and granted service connection for this condition. The claims for migraine headaches and dizziness and nausea are remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Veteran's claim for an increased initial rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to a procedural error in not considering the May 2023 VA audiology clinic treatment notes. The case is also referred to the Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration of the Veteran's claim for service connection for dizziness as secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain and maintain gainful employment consistent with his education, training, and work experience.,Effective October 19, 2018, the criteria for a TDIU are met.

Service connection is denied for hearing loss in the left ear, a respiratory disorder, restless leg syndrome, a heart disorder, and a left shoulder disability.,An initial rating in excess of 20 percent for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is denied.

The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss and therefore denied service connection for this condition. The issues of service connection for tinnitus and PTSD are remanded due to insufficient evidence.