Hearing loss decisions — 2024

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error, requiring an additional examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left ear hearing loss disability, right ear hearing loss disability, and lumbar spine disability due to duty-to-assist errors prior to the AOJ decisions. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is being reviewed again as there may be a need to consider evidence submitted after the August 2021 decision.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have started during service and has continued since, warranting service connection.,There is no evidence of a current hearing loss disability as defined by VA regulations, thus denying the claim for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and remanded the claim for left ear hearing loss due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, which may be related to service exposure. The claim will be reconsidered with a new VA examination.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss.,The right wrist sprain disability claim is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability and tinnitus, but denied service connection for a left ear hearing loss disability.,Service connection is granted for the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability and tinnitus due to noise exposure during active duty. Service connection is not granted for his left ear hearing loss disability.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate etiology rationale in the VA examination report. The Veteran's hearing loss is currently diagnosed, and there was no significant shift in hearing thresholds during service. However, a new addendum opinion is needed to determine if the current hearing loss is related to service exposure.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability is not shown to have been manifested by worse than Level I hearing acuity, and therefore an initial compensable rating for the condition has been denied.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied, and the Board is remanding his claims of service connection for right mandible fracture and left corneal abrasion.,Service connection for diabetes was also denied.

The Veteran's hypertension and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. A VA examination is required for both conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that his pre-existing hearing loss did not worsen during active service and thus could not be considered service-connected.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus on a direct basis related to the Veteran's initial active duty training (IADT) period of qualifying service, effective from March 2023.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus for VA purposes, and therefore service connection is denied. The psychiatric disability claim remains pending as remanded.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for sleep apnea were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection or entitlement to a higher rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, as he is capable of sedentary or low impact physical work.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss must be remanded due to inadequate examination and failure to consider a study supporting delayed onset hearing loss.

Service connection for allergic rhinitis is granted due to presumed exposure to burn pits. Service connection for right and left ear hearing loss, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, bilateral upper extremity neuropathy, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, skin rash (claimed as a skin disorder), bilateral hand disorder, bilateral hip disorder, bilateral leg disorder, neck disorder (cervicalgia), chronic pain disorder, upper respiratory infection, and bronchitis is denied due to lack of evidence of current disability or service connection.

The Board has found that the Veteran's May 5, 2020 notice of disagreement (NOD) was timely filed in response to the March 20, 2020 Statement of the Case. As a result, the appeal is granted for the issues related to hepatitis C and reopening claims for left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, residuals of a head injury, depression, and sleep apnea.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his service-connected conditions do not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.