Hearing loss decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus as there was insufficient medical evidence to determine if he had current disabilities, and an in-person examination is needed.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim is denied as the evidence does not support a compensable evaluation.,Ischemic heart disease and prostate cancer claims are remanded due to insufficient verification of exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The matter is now pending for a new opinion.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are granted as service connected, with the Board resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the claims for a compensable rating for tinea unguium (onychomycosis) of the bilateral big toenails and bilateral fifth toenails, service connection for left ruptured ear drum scar tissue, and service connection for left ear hearing loss due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors. The Veteran's claims will be remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for tinnitus and service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found no legal basis to grant a higher schedular rating for tinnitus, as the maximum available rating is already assigned. For bilateral hearing loss, the evidence did not establish in-service onset or continuity of symptomatology sufficient to meet the criteria for presumptive service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are related to his in-service noise exposure. The decision is based on medical opinions provided by a VA physician (Dr. N.V.) who concluded that the Veteran's hearing loss is service-connected due to prolonged exposure to high-intensity noises during service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his exposure to acoustic trauma during active military service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is etiologically linked to his active-duty service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for left lower extremity neuropathy was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support granting either condition.

The Veteran's initial claim for a left ear hearing loss disability was denied as there is no evidence of hearing loss that meets VA criteria for a disability. The right ear hearing loss disability claim was also denied due to lack of service-connected hearing loss in the right ear.,Service connection for a dental disability was not granted because the Veteran did not have any documented trauma or disease during service, and his current disabilities are not compensable under VA regulations.

The reduction of a 10 percent rating for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) was improper, and the rating is restored.,Entitlement to an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for GERD is denied.

The Veteran's cause of death was granted service connection, and the surviving spouse (Appellant) has already been awarded Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits. The appeal is dismissed as there are no live issues or claims remaining.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to address the Veteran's reports of loud noise exposure during service and its relation to his hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the claims for athlete's foot, back disability, neck disability, right ankle disability, left ankle disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, bilateral foot disability, bilateral hearing loss, and obstructive sleep apnea due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus and service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found no legal basis to grant a higher schedular rating for tinnitus or separate ratings for each ear, and there is no evidence of chronic hearing loss during service or within the presumptive period post-service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings are remanded due to procedural issues, but no specific effective date or rating is assigned.

The Veteran's service-connected left ear hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating, as his audiometric test results were noncompensable.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss. The claims of service connection for anemia, dermatitis, and right knee condition are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus should be remanded due to a duty to assist error. The results of an audiometric test performed in July 2019 are needed to substantiate these claims.