Hearing loss decisions — 2024

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that his current disabilities are etiologically related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claim of tinnitus due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as secondary to the service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability.,Service connection is established for bilateral hearing loss due to exposure to acoustic trauma during active duty, with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hyperlipidemia, bilateral hearing loss, right hand numbness, a psychiatric disability (to include anxiety, depression, insomnia, and short term memory loss), and bilateral gout of the feet and knees have all been denied as there is no evidence to support these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his left ring finger condition was denied as the evidence did not show that it most closely approximated amputation or any other disabling condition affecting another finger.,Service connection for hearing loss was denied because there is no reliable evidence showing that the Veteran has a hearing loss disability under VA regulations.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the lack of an updated VA examination in over seven years, despite multiple attempts by the AOJ. The Board notes that special procedures should be followed for incarcerated Veterans.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, so his claim for a TDIU was denied.

The Veteran's death was not service-connected, but the appellant is eligible for nonservice-connected burial benefits as he/she paid for the funeral expenses and meets the criteria of an eligible claimant.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete and inadequate medical opinions, as well as missing service records. The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss will be reviewed again with a new examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as the earliest date of submission was April 10, 2020.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA). The Veteran's bilateral knee, low back, and hearing loss disabilities were found to have worsened prior to October 24, 2013, but no other service-connected conditions worsened in the one-year period preceding the claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional service records and determine if his sleep apnea is related to military service or obesity, which may be a result of his service-connected disabilities. The issues of entitlement to higher ratings for sciatica peripheral neuropathy and service connection for hearing loss are also being remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased disability rating for left ear hearing loss and service connection for right ear hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current right ear hearing loss disability, thus denying service connection for right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted. Erectile dysfunction, tinnitus, and diabetes mellitus, type II are all granted due to herbicide exposure under the PACT Act. Prostate cancer is also granted due to herbicide exposure. Service connection for hearing loss and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities (secondary to diabetes) was denied.

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

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since June 3, 2019.,TDIU is granted from June 3, 2019. The appeal for TDIU from October 9, 2018 to June 3, 2019 is remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is attributable to military service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is denied, and the claim for service connection for chronic kidney disease (CKD) is remanded due to procedural errors.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at a noncompensable level prior to June 3, 2024. From June 3, 2024, the rating for his bilateral hearing loss has been increased to 30 percent effective from that date.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, finding that he does not meet the criteria for this benefit.