Hearing loss decisions — 2024

The Veteran's hearing loss disability has been rated as noncompensable under the VA rating schedule. The Board finds that the Veteran's hearing loss significantly impacts his employment and daily life, warranting an extraschedular evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a special home adaptation grant due to lack of blindness in both eyes, burns or inhalation injuries.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability.,The Veteran's claim for tinnitus is denied because the evidence does not establish that it was caused by service exposure to noise, and there is no continuity of symptoms since service.,The Veteran's claim for left ankle sprain is denied due to lack of a causal link between the in-service injury and current condition.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is at least as likely as not related to his military service. The decision resolves any doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied service connection for hypertension and prostate cancer. Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service noise exposure. Hypertension is not shown to be related to service or a year after separation. Prostate cancer is not currently diagnosed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes, and thus cannot establish service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervicalgia, residuals of left foot injury with instability, bilateral hearing loss, and cold weather injury of the left upper extremity. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.,There was no credible evidence linking any current disabilities to service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, as there was a pre-decisional duty to assist error in the previous decision. The case is being remanded for further evaluation and opinion.

The Board denied a compensable rating for the service-connected left ear hearing loss, citing insufficient evidence to warrant such a rating based on audiometric test results.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's tinnitus is service connected, but has remanded the issue of his bilateral hearing loss due to potential duty-to-assist errors.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's timely substantive appeal was received in response to the February 2020 Statement of the Case, and thus the appeal is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current disability is related to his military service and resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including high cholesterol, snoring, fatigue, insomnia, hearing loss, chronic left hip pain, and cerumen impaction (claimed as chronic ear infection), have been denied. The Board has also remanded several other issues related to knee conditions, shoulder conditions, migraine headaches, and overactive bladder.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Board requires the VA audiogram from April 27, 2023 to be obtained and associated with the claims file.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not related to in-service exposure to hazardous noise. The decision resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left hand joint pain and bilateral hearing loss have been granted. Service connection is also denied for right hand joint pain, first degree atrioventricular block.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted, with the condition that they are subject to the laws and regulations governing monetary awards.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for a left eye disability and a right hand disability due to duty-to-assist errors. The effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability remains denied.

The Veteran's service connection for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is granted. The Board also remanded several secondary service connection claims as they are inextricably intertwined with the grant of service connection for NPC.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, with a speech recognition score of Level II in both ears. The Board found the evidence did not support a higher rating.