Hearing loss decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted effective June 20, 2020. The Board denied earlier effective dates as the earliest possible date is June 20, 2020.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability and plantar fasciitis are service-connected, while his right ear hearing loss is not.

The Board denied the Veteran's request to readjudicate his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there was no new and relevant evidence presented since the June 2012 rating decision.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed due to their death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of these claims as they have become moot.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus due to military noise exposure. The issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded as there was a duty to assist error in obtaining an adequate medical opinion.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and entitlement to TDIU prior to April 19, 2022 is denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the schedular criteria for a grant of TDIU due to his tinnitus disability.

The Board has granted service connection for migraine headaches, but remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of an adequate VA examination and opinion.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection for episodic lumbosacral strain with right side sciatica, bilateral hearing loss, and a compensable disability rating for tinea versicolor effective October 1, 2001. The December 2020 document was not considered a valid decision by VA.

The Board has found that the Veteran does not have a current left ear hearing loss disability as defined by VA regulations. The right ear hearing loss claim is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability.,Service connection for low back pain and dysfunction is also denied due to lack of credible evidence linking the condition to active duty. The Veteran did not report recurrent back pain during his separation examination, and there are no contemporaneous medical records indicating treatment for this issue.,The Veteran's PTSD claim has been granted with a 50% rating since February 10, 2020. The Board found that the symptoms associated with PTSD more closely approximate those of a 70% disability rating.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to warrant readjudication of the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss. The appeal is granted in part, as the issue of entitlement to service connection for left ear hearing loss is remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not rated higher than noncompensable.,Service connection for loss of smell and taste, to include as due to environmental exposures during the Persian Gulf War, is granted. The Board finds that the evidence supports a finding of service connection based on continuity of symptoms since separation from service.,The Veteran's residuals of right thumb laceration with bone chip and nerve damage are not service connected.,Service connection for hemorrhoids, to include as due to environmental exposures during the Persian Gulf War, is denied.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and has remanded the issue of an initial compensable rating for the service-connected ulcerative colitis.

The Veteran's initial compensable evaluation for left ear hearing loss is denied due to the audiometric findings not meeting the criteria for a compensable rating.,Service connection for anxiety is denied as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease that could be related to current symptoms.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a back disorder were denied as there was no evidence of current disabilities or in-service incurrence.,For bilateral hearing loss, the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a disability under VA regulations.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issues of service connection for back condition with bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, nerve damage to right lower extremity, left upper extremity, left lower extremity, and right upper extremity.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence in the record regarding their etiology. The claims are being returned to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, kidney disease, trigeminal neuralgia pain, an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression), right lower peripheral neuropathy, left lower peripheral neuropathy, right peripheral vascular disease, left peripheral vascular disease, diabetes mellitus, heart condition, and hypertension are being remanded due to the Veteran missing his VA examinations.,The Board finds that the Veteran presented good cause for having missed his appointments and therefore, the claims must be remanded to afford the Veteran adequate examinations and medical opinions regarding these disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there is no current diagnosis of hearing loss at any time during the appeal period.

The Veteran's right foot bunion and bilateral hearing loss are granted as service-connected. The decision on bilateral hearing loss is remanded for further examination.