Hearing loss decisions — 2024

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

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, and tinnitus due to inadequate medical opinion regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied, and the Board found that an effective date earlier than February 20, 2023, for the grant of TDIU is remanded due to procedural issues.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, back condition, heart condition, hypertension, left arm condition, and right arm condition have all been denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability in any of these conditions that began during active service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,The Veteran's claim for tinnitus was also denied as there is no credible evidence of a current diagnosis.

The Veteran's PTSD disability rating was restored to 70% effective December 1, 2022. He is also granted TDIU and basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA).

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating.,Both of the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected pes cavus conditions were remanded due to the need for additional medical records from Dr. E.B.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that his current hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a disability under VA regulations and was not causally related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's VR&E benefits were denied because he had a combined disability rating of 90% for his service-connected tinnitus and nonservice-connected hearing loss, which did not meet the requirement of having a serious employment handicap.

Your appeal for an initial, compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed as the appellant requested withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is not sufficient evidence to establish a nexus between his current hearing loss and his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a need for an addendum opinion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) as there was no evidence showing that his service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for an increased compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as the audiometric testing showed no more than Level IV hearing loss in the right ear and Level II hearing loss in the left ear throughout the appeal period.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable, and the Board found that this rating is not adequate to reflect his symptoms. The evidence showed hearing acuity levels of Level II in both ears.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination. The initial rating for right ear hearing loss remains denied, while hypertension and erectile dysfunction remain denied.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for service connection.,Service connection for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is denied due to lack of in-service disease or injury and insufficient continuity of symptomatology post-service. The VA examiner could not provide an opinion without resorting to speculation.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder is remanded as the November 2015 VA medical opinion is inadequate, failing to address diagnostic testing performed at VistA Imaging.

The Veteran's claim for initial service connection for bilateral hearing loss was granted with an effective date of January 6, 2009.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran experienced a continuity of symptoms related to these conditions since his separation from service. The claims were reopened due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as there is no evidence showing that these conditions were caused by any incident of service, including in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including major depressive disorder, alcohol use disorder, asthma with obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted TDIU based on the combined impact of these conditions.