Hearing loss decisions — 2024

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

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, specifically related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss but denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss is at least as likely as not related to his noise exposure during service.

Service connection for prostate cancer is granted. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, GERD, heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The decision on tinnitus is based on the Veteran's credible report of onset during service and presumed exposure to noise, while the denial of hearing loss is due to a lack of evidence meeting VA criteria.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss did not have its onset during military service and was not related to such service.,The Board also denied service connection for tinnitus, concluding that there is no evidence linking the condition to military service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection for chronic lymphocytic leukemia, prostate cancer, and hypertension due to potential reopening of the claims based on new evidence. The hearing loss issue remains denied.

The Veteran's initial claim for an initial compensable disability evaluation for service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for OSA, right-shoulder pain, cardiac arrhythmia, functional-abdominal-pain syndrome, lumbar-spine pain, bronchial asthma (claimed as bronchial disease), COPD (bronchial), pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), and cervical-spine condition, to include cervicothoracic spine.

The Veteran's appeal of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed. The Board has remanded the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder due to insufficient evidence regarding stressor events and a need for further medical examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error and requires an updated VA opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss disability is related to his in-service noise exposure and continuous symptoms since discharge.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is incurred in service due to exposure to hazardous noise during his active duty, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than July 24, 2017 for service connection of degenerative arthritis, thoracolumbar spine and right ear hearing loss have been denied as there is no evidence that the Veteran filed a claim prior to this date.

The Board has found duty to assist errors in the hearing loss and tinnitus claims, which were not addressed during the March 2020 rating decision. The claims are being remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has found that the AOJ did not obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's vertigo, and thus remanded for further development. The issues include determining whether the Veteran's vertigo is proximately due to or aggravated by service-connected tinnitus and/or rupture right eardrum.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent since September 27, 2018. The effective date for the award of a 70 percent rating for PTSD has been denied.

The Board has reopened the claims for sleep apnea, bilateral eye disability, bilateral hearing loss, chronic sinusitis, and left foot injury due to new evidence. The claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum rating available under VA regulations. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted based on the audiometric results provided.

The Board has granted readjudication of the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding new and relevant evidence since the January 2017 rating decision. The claims are now remanded for further action.