Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the cases for further action due to a failure to verify herbicide agent exposure during service.

The Veteran's claims for left heel disability and tinnitus have been granted. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded.,Service connection has been established for the Veteran's left heel disability and tinnitus. The hearing loss claim remains pending as it requires further examination and opinion.,

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted. The Board found that the evidence was in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus were related to his in-service noise exposure, and thus granted service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds no evidence of a compensable rating. The claims for PTSD and insomnia are remanded due to conflicting medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure. Service connection for right ear hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,Service connection was established for left ear hearing loss due to noise exposure during basic and infantry training.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, with no worse than Level II hearing acuity in both ears during the appeal period.

The Board has dismissed all issues related to the veteran's claims for various conditions as they are not eligible due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes and has not had one at any time during the pendency of the claim or recent to the filing of the claim. The issue of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of compliance with prior remand instructions and requires an addendum medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, heart condition, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus is remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Veteran withdrew his claim for bilateral hearing loss, and the Board dismissed it as a result.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss as the evidence did not show it was incurred during or related to service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied, and his service connection claim for a lung condition is also denied.

The Board has remanded the cases involving service connection for hearing loss, hemorrhoids, lumbar spine disability, and a neurological disorder of the bilateral lower extremities (numbness in legs and feet).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities prior to January 14, 2021. The case is now before the Board again for further appellate action.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly evaluate the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further action.

The Veteran's service connection for hypertension was granted on a presumptive basis related to herbicide agent exposure pursuant to the PACT Act.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and colon polyps were denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or causation during service. Service connection for tinnitus was granted with an effective date of April 26, 2017.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for hearing loss and granted service connection for GERD as secondary to service-connected disabilities. The claims for IBS, OSA, and increased rating for residuals of fractures of right fibula and right ankle with degenerative and posttraumatic arthritis are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including acquired psychiatric disability, tinnitus, and hearing loss, did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to January 16, 2017. The Board found that the evidence does not support a finding of unemployability due solely to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is causally related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.