Hearing loss decisions — 2023

The Board denied service connection for sinusitis, as the evidence did not support a current diagnosis of sinusitis during or recent to the filing of the claim.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied an increased rating, with no exceptional pattern of hearing impairment found.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that his current disability is related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and GERD as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during active service or were related to in-service injury or disease.,The Board found no credible evidence of noise exposure leading to hearing loss and tinnitus, and noted inconsistent statements regarding onset. The Veteran's service records showed normal hearing at separation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and degenerative arthritis of the spine have been denied as there is no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are at least as likely as not related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The assigned evaluation for hearing loss is determined by mechanically applying the rating criteria to certified test results, and the Veteran's hearing acuity has been manifested by Level II in the right ear and Level III in the left ear.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss as there is no current evidence of a disability meeting VA criteria.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding her conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for CFS and ulcers have been dismissed. The claim of hearing loss disorder has been denied, as the evidence does not indicate a current disability under VA regulations. Tinnitus was also denied due to lack of in-service or post-service manifestation within one year of separation from service.,The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy in the left upper extremity is now rated at 40%.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates are being remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for increased ratings and service connection claims. The hearing loss rating is denied, the peripheral vestibular disorder rating remains at 10 percent, and the MDD and TBI residuals are rated at 50 percent. Service connection requests for carpal tunnel syndrome, upper extremity neuropathy, and lower extremity neuropathy were also not granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied in an October 2013 rating decision. However, because VA generated treatment records that were relevant and reasonably connected to the claim within one year of this decision, it did not become final. The effective date for the grant of service connection is now July 5, 2012.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied as his service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating and a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss, as well as his TDIU claim, are being remanded due to the need for further development.

The Board has remanded the cases of entitlement to service connection for a right hip condition and obstructive sleep apnea, as well as the issue of an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to July 21, 2021. The Veteran's claims are pending further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the submission of a VA Form 10182, which was not appropriate for his legacy system appeals. The AOJ must issue an SOC and allow the Veteran to file a substantive appeal if he wishes to continue his appeal under the legacy appeals system.

The Veteran's request to reopen service connection for a mood disorder, polysubstance abuse (claimed as nervous condition and PTSD) has been granted. The evidence received since the last denial indicates that the Veteran was newly diagnosed with PTSD based on an in-service stressor.,The Veteran's request to reopen service connection for a back disability has also been granted. New medical records indicate a diagnosis of spondyloarthritis, which pertains to a prior evidentiary deficiency regarding a diagnosed disability.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The skin disability, variously claimed as contact dermatitis and neck rash, was denied. Other conditions were either not granted or remanded for further review.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated at 70 percent since March 29, 2022. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating and denied an increased rating.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied as his hearing acuity does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.