Hearing loss decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The claim for right ear hearing loss is denied, and the claim for left ear hearing loss is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for hearing loss has been dismissed due to their death.

The appeal for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent for service-connected bilateral hearing loss is dismissed. The appeal for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for service-connected PTSD is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment prior to May 22, 2018.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at zero percent, as it does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating based on his audiometric test results.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to provide notice of the Veteran's right to a DRO hearing before issuance of the December 2019 decision.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and left hip disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to duty-to-assist errors prior to the April 2021 rating decision. The Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service noise exposure are not addressed by the VA examiner, necessitating a new opinion.

The Veteran's appeal for hearing loss, scleroderma, and tinnitus was dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The AOJ will obtain a new VA opinion on the relationship between the disabilities and in-service noise exposure.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, alcohol and stimulant disorder, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and left ear scar as the evidence did not support these claims.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability as there is no current diagnosis of the condition under VA compensation criteria.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no current disability meeting VA requirements and insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between her present condition and military noise exposure.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The claims of left plantar fasciitis, right plantar fasciitis, left ankle tendinitis, right ankle tendinitis, acquired psychiatric disorder (to include anxiety and PTSD), and left hip strain are all remanded due to pre-decisional errors in obtaining adequate VA examinations and medical opinions.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an updated VA medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and his service, as well as whether it was caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is being remanded for further examination and opinion to determine if it is related to his military service, including noise exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis is rated at 30 percent, the maximum rating available under DC 5276.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating as his right ear corresponds to Level I and left ear to Level V on the VA audiometric tables. The highest rating available is zero percent.,The Veteran's right knee chondromalacia with arthritis is rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum rating available under DC 5260 for flexion limited to 115 degrees and extension limited to 115 degrees without ankylosis or instability.,The Veteran's left knee chondromalacia with arthritis is rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum rating available under DC 5260 for flexion limited to 115 degrees.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the claim of bilateral hearing loss due to potential issues with the evidence and need for further examination.

The Veteran's tinnitus, hearing loss, and thyroid enlargement have been denied ratings in excess of the current 10 percent. The claim for service connection for necrotizing fasciitis of bilateral feet and legs has also been denied.,Service connection was not established for any of the conditions due to lack of evidence linking them to military service.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for left ear hearing loss, as it is related to noise exposure during active duty and may be secondary to service-connected right ear hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus. The case will require another VA medical opinion to address the etiology of the current left ear hearing loss.