Hearing loss decisions — 2024

The Veteran's left shoulder condition and bilateral hearing loss claims are denied. His tinnitus claim is granted, as is his sinusitis claim due to exposure in Southwest Asia.,His diabetes mellitus type II and bilateral hearing loss claims require additional development.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is due to in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and thoracolumbar spine strain due to insufficient evidence in the current VA examination report. The Veteran is not entitled to service connection for his claimed conditions as he does not have a current disability.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for tinnitus and service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability was denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes, and thus cannot establish service connection.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection, increased ratings, and earlier effective dates were dismissed due to the Veteran not filing a VA Form 10182 (Decision Review Request: Board Appeal) regarding these issues.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the denial of service connection for a bilateral eye condition, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been readjudicated due to new evidence. The claims for liver disease, coronary artery disease, and cervical spine degenerative arthritis are being remanded.,The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as the evidence does not show that his current hearing loss disability was incurred in or aggravated by his military service.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between current hearing loss and service, despite noise exposure during service.,Tinnitus was not manifest during service or related to service. The Veteran's tinnitus began in 2004, almost two years after honorable discharge from service.,The Veteran does not have a diagnosed eyesight problem. There is no evidence of an in-service event that could be linked to current eye issues.,Service connection for PTSD with Major Depressive Disorder, Alcohol Use Disorder, and Tobacco Use Disorder is granted based on the Veteran's reported stressors during deployment in Bosnia.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and dismissed his claim for service connection for benign cysts. The decision found that there was no current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss, as auditory thresholds were below the threshold for a VA disability rating. The issue of benign cysts was dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal during the March 2024 Board hearing.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss as the claim was fully granted in a prior rating decision.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis (also claimed as pes planus) has been withdrawn. The claims of service connection for migraines, depression, hearing loss, and allergic rhinitis are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a back disorder, and a psychiatric disorder due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no current disability of hearing loss as defined by VA standards.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional VA treatment records related to the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim. The AOJ is instructed to obtain these records.

The Veteran's claims for tinnitus, hypertension associated with herbicide agent exposure, bilateral pes planus with bilateral plantar fasciitis, and vasectomy scar residuals have been granted. The remaining issues of service connection for hearing loss, lumbar spine disability, right knee disability, prostate disability, skin disabilities, right ankle disability, esophageal disability, hemorrhoids, and left eye disability are being remanded.,The Veteran's claims for recurrent lumbar spine disability (including degenerative disc disease and degenerative arthritis), recurrent right knee disability (including osteoarthritis), recurrent prostate disability (including benign prostate hyperplasia), recurrent skin disability (including tinea versicolor, tinea corporis, tinea cruris, and eczema), recurrent right ankle disability (including cellulitis), recurrent esophageal disability (GERD), hemorrhoids, and acquired left eye disability (including corneal abrasion and cataract) are being remanded.

The Veteran's current bilateral tinnitus and hearing loss disabilities are granted as service-connected due to in-service noise exposure. The left ankle condition is remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the inadequacy of the October 2020 VA examination, which did not include audiometric testing. The Board finds that an additional examination is necessary to determine the severity and manifestations of his hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and left ear hearing loss, but denied service connection for residuals of a lower back injury and head condition (presumed traumatic brain injury).,Service connection is granted for tinnitus due to direct evidence linking it to military noise exposure. Service connection is denied for residuals of a lower back injury as there was no in-service injury or disease. Service connection is denied for head condition (presumed TBI) as the Veteran's symptoms are not consistent with those arising from service.