Hearing loss decisions — 2024

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his service-connected conditions did not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's disability rating for bilateral hearing loss was reduced from 70% to 50%, but the Board found that there was no actual improvement in his condition, thus denying the reduction.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant, and no final decision can be made.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, both for purposes of accrued benefits. The evidence supports a nexus between these disabilities and her in-service acoustic trauma.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is so severe that it prevents him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's active military service.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to exposure to herbicide agents during service in the Republic of Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and a need for further development, including obtaining missing VA records and providing an opinion on whether the Veteran's hearing loss is related to service-connected conditions or in-service acoustic trauma.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ADHD, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, tinnitus, right knee osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, scar, and left ear hearing loss, collectively precluded him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment. The Board granted a TDIU based on the combined effects of these disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to errors in the rating and service connection determinations for his hearing loss disabilities, shoulder pain, and arthritis. The issues of right ear hearing loss disability, bilateral shoulder pain (right), and residual of pain status-post right rotator cuff tear repair are being addressed.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The claims of service connection for hemorrhoids and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The appeal is dismissed as there has been a full grant of an earlier effective date for the TDIU award, covering the entire appeal period.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding no persuasive evidence of a current disability that comports with VA regulations.

The Veteran's death was not caused by his service-connected conditions, and he did not meet the requirements for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1310 or § 1318.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD with TBI and multiple musculoskeletal conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU rating effective July 18, 2019. Service connection for esophageal cancer is remanded due to the PACT Act's expansion of presumptive conditions.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected PTSD with major depressive disorder. The Board finds the March 2022 private opinion of Dr. W. to be adequate and persuasive, finding that the current credible medical literature supports the finding that obstructive sleep apnea develops from PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was granted with an effective date of May 10, 2019. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and asthma were granted under the PACT Act with effective dates of August 10, 2022. An initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is remanded for further review.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed, and the Board grants an initial rating of 10 percent for hypertension from August 22, 2022.