Hearing loss decisions — 2024

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus, finding that both conditions are the result of exposure to acoustic trauma during military service. There is no evidence of intercurrent causes.

Your claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been granted, and the appeal is dismissed as it has been fully addressed.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's active duty service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected, but his diabetes mellitus remains denied due to lack of qualifying military exposure.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of right ear hearing loss has been dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated as noncompensable, and the appeal for an increased rating is denied.,There is no current diagnosis of hepatitis C during the appeal period, and service connection for this condition is not granted.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for increased ratings for service-connected peripheral vestibular disorder and bilateral hearing loss as the appellant was not a valid claimant due to the Veteran's surviving spouse still being alive at the time of her appeal submission.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions had their onset in service.,The decision also grants service connection based on direct service connection rather than a presumption or secondary theory.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a duty to assist error in the February 2019 VA examination.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to new evidence received after the August 2022 rating decision. The evidence now supports a finding that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military noise exposure.

The Board has readjudicated the claim for service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability due to new and relevant evidence submitted after the August 2018 rating decision. The Veteran's current right ear hearing loss is found to be etiologically related to noise exposure in service, thus granting service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted as the evidence shows that his current condition likely began during service. However, his claims for bilateral hearing loss, traumatic brain injury, sleep apnea, and cervical degenerative disc and joint disease are denied due to lack of a current disability diagnosis.,There is no current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss or traumatic brain injury related to service. The Veteran's claim for sleep apnea is also denied as there is insufficient evidence of a current disability. Service connection for cervical degenerative disc and joint disease (claimed as cervical strain) is not granted due to lack of a current condition.,The Veteran's tinnitus claim is supported by his credible statements about the onset and impact of the condition during service, but he does not have a confirmed diagnosis of hearing loss or traumatic brain injury. The Board finds no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has denied the claims for service connection for dermatophytosis with onychomycosis and tinea pedis, headaches/migraines, and hearing loss, bilateral due to lack of new and relevant evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of current disability and that his in-service noise exposure did not result in a diagnosed condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to insufficient evidence and need further examination.

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

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

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted service connection, with the Board finding that there is at least as much evidence to support these conditions being related to his military service. The Veteran's headaches, left elbow disability, left wrist disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, left knee disability, cervical spine disability, and lumbosacral spine disability have been remanded for further review.,The Board has found that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service. The Veteran's headaches, left elbow disability, left wrist disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, left knee disability, cervical spine disability, and lumbosacral spine disability have been remanded for further review.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for status post operative acoustic neuroma with occasional vertigo and bilateral hearing loss were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been granted. The claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded.