Hearing loss decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in the November 2023 decision, including issues with the adequacy of a December 2021 VA examination and the credibility of the Veteran's statements regarding his hearing loss.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of a current disability for VA purposes. The Veteran's claim for damaged teeth is remanded as there are insufficient clinical information in the file to make a decision.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable, with the Board finding that his hearing acuity does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of evidence meeting the regulatory requirements for establishing a current disability. The claims for service connection for depression and left knee condition are remanded as there is insufficient competent medical evidence on file to make a reasoned determination.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased evaluation of bilateral hearing loss is dismissed. The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for a right knee disability, to include as secondary to a right ankle disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The claim for right ear hearing loss is denied as there is no current diagnosis of hearing loss.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The decision found that it was at least as likely as not that her tinnitus is a symptom of her bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to potential issues with the validity of audiometric testing and need for clarification on pre-existing conditions.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence regarding the merits of these issues. The benefit of doubt has been given to the Veteran in both cases.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current left ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes and therefore denied his claim. The right ear hearing loss issue is remanded due to an inadequate opinion.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but the other issues related to PTSD and psychiatric disorders, low back disability, left knee disability, and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to incomplete or inadequate evidence.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to his in-service noise exposure, and service connection for this condition is granted.

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

The Veteran's hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable throughout the period on review, with no exceptional pattern of hearing impairment found. The Board denied the claim for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hypertensive cardiovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease of the bilateral lower extremities, right ear hearing loss, and refractive error have all been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.,There was no diagnosis of right ear hearing loss for VA purposes in the post-service records.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not rated higher than noncompensable, his right knee disability did not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to July 16, 2019 or 30 percent from September 1, 2020, and he failed to establish service connection for chronic bronchitis (COPD), fungal infection, left knee disorder, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, left elbow disorder, or diabetes.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, but has remanded the claim for an asbestos-related pulmonary disability due to a lack of relevant medical records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular criteria for a Total Disability Rating for Compensation prior to January 20, 2020. The effective date of his TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and his claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board has vacated its March 14, 2024 decision and dismissed the appeals for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and bilateral hearing loss due to procedural defects in how the appeal was filed.