Hearing loss decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for GERD is denied.,The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right and left lower extremity neuropathy.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not first manifest during active service and is not related to exposure to acoustic trauma or other injury in service. As such, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates of January 28, 2022 for the grant of service connection for low back disability and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, type II and bilateral hearing loss due to potential application of the PACT Act. The claim for diabetes will be remanded for a VA examination and opinion regarding the relationship between service and the condition, while the hearing loss claim will be reconsidered in light of the actions taken on the diabetes claim.

The Board denied service connection for left and right ear hearing loss as the Veteran does not have a current disability of hearing loss for VA purposes.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service. However, the Veteran's tinnitus is granted as it is at least as likely as not caused by in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are etiologically related to acoustic trauma sustained in active service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between in-service noise exposure and current hearing loss. The Veteran's hearing was within normal limits at separation from service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability during or within one year after service discharge and that the Veteran did not have a nexus between his in-service noise exposure and his current hearing loss.

The Board has granted the restoration of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no clear and unmistakable error in their original grant.

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

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service connected due to in-service combat noise exposure, including the explosion of an ammunition dump nearby.

The Board has found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss does not meet VA criteria for a disability, as there is no evidence of post-service hearing loss meeting VA standards. The Board has also determined that additional development is needed to address the issue of service connection for right ear hearing loss due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU effective from January 1, 2012, as his service-connected disabilities precluded him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence is in equipoise regarding a link between the disability and military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus due to a lack of evidence supporting a nexus between these conditions and his military service.,The VA audiological examinations did not find current diagnoses of hearing loss or tinnitus in the Veteran's ears.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The claim will be reconsidered with additional evidence.

The Board has denied service connection for tinnitus due to a lack of evidence showing the Veteran currently suffers from this condition.,Service connection is being remanded for bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, adjustment disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea as these claims are inextricably intertwined with the denial of service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, including in-service hazardous noise exposure. Therefore, the claims for service connection have been denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for hearing loss, tinnitus, a left foot condition, and a psychiatric condition (including PTSD) need to be remanded due to procedural errors in scheduling examinations. The Veteran was not afforded proper VA examinations for these conditions.