Hearing loss decisions — 2024

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that her current condition is related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, but granted service connection for tinnitus. The Veteran's hearing acuity did not meet the regulatory criteria for a hearing loss disability and his Maryland CNC test scores were below 94% in both ears. However, his tinnitus began during service and has been continuous since then.

The Board has found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is due to in-service noise exposure, but the VA examiner's opinion did not consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding his symptoms. The case is being remanded for an addendum medical opinion.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea as secondary to an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence at the time of the November 2021 agency decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service. The Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown as chronic in service or within presumptive periods, and there was no established continuity of symptomatology.,The Board also denied the Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 USC 1151 for retinal damage, noting that the evidence did not establish a causal relationship between his claimed injury and VA care.

The Veteran's appeal of the initial ratings for unspecified anxiety disorder and bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Board finds that the most persuasive evidence does not support a higher rating than 30 percent for unspecified anxiety disorder or noncompensable for bilateral hearing loss.,The Veteran's appeals regarding service connection for migraines, right shoulder disability, left foot disability (pes planus), right foot disability (pes planus), and right knee disability are remanded. The appeal of service connection for sleep apnea is also remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. A valid audiometric examination and testing are needed.

The Board has found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is not due to service, as there was no evidence of hearing loss or significant threshold shifts in service. The Board has also noted inconsistencies in the IOM report regarding delayed onset hearing loss and has ordered a remand for an addendum opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete review of evidence and failure to obtain Social Security Administration records. The issues include bilateral hearing loss, allergic rhinitis, left ankle arthritis, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence does not support a nexus to service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of an adequate VA examination, particularly regarding the relationship between current hearing loss and military noise exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence in the service treatment records regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right ear hearing loss. The Veteran is seeking service connection for this condition, which was denied previously.

The Veteran's service connection for bilateral ear hearing loss is granted as the Board finds that her current right and left ear sensorineural hearing loss is etiologically related to exposure to acoustic trauma in 2010 during service.

The Board has 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 showing these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cervicalgia, leg length discrepancy, residuals of left great toenail removal, and bilateral plantar fasciitis as there is no evidence of a current disability during the period on appeal.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his active-duty service and grants entitlement to service connection.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and rating determinations have been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment, and the Board granted a TDIU based on his self-employment in a protected environment.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, finding that it is related to his in-service noise exposure and resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran.