Hearing loss decisions — 2024

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new opinion is needed regarding whether the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings due to insufficient evidence or procedural issues. The hearing loss claim is denied, while other claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is currently rated at 40 percent, which is the maximum rating under applicable schedular criteria.,PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, reflecting occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board has granted service connection for a sinus condition, left ear hearing loss, and bilateral tinnitus. Right ear hearing loss was denied.,Service connection is established for the Veteran's sinus condition, left ear hearing loss, and bilateral tinnitus due to in-service noise exposure.

The reduction from a 10 percent rating to a noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, effective December 1, 2020, was proper. The appeal is denied as the Veteran's claim for an increased rating remains unchanged.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, as his major depressive disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes and has not had one at any time during the pendency of the claim or recent to the filing of the claim. Therefore, service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than April 28, 2017 for the grant of service connection for a left knee disability and left ear hearing loss were denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his left knee disability was also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are related to military service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left and right wrist cysts, neck disorder, back disorder, right arm and elbow nerve disorder, and hepatitis B are remanded due to the need for additional records and medical opinions.

The petition to reopen the previously denied claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss is granted. Service connection for tinnitus is also granted, but service connection for right ear hearing loss and cervical spine disability are denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right lower lid cyst and a left eyelid contusion are denied. The claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss is granted, but the Veteran is remanded to have his right ear hearing loss evaluated again. His claim for service connection for sarcoidosis is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to additional development being required. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 10% prior to March 1, 2017 and at 30% from May 20, 2019 to October 12, 2021.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period. The Board found that his disability picture did not more nearly approximate the degree required for a higher rating at any point during the appeal. For TDIU prior to January 19, 2010, the evidence does not support a finding of unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo are granted a 100% rating effective April 9, 2013.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected conditions, including Meniere's disease, peripheral vestibular disorders, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The issues are being held in abeyance due to their interrelated nature.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not meet the threshold element of his service connection claim for a left ear hearing loss disability as he does not have hearing loss for VA purposes in the left ear.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate reasoning in previous VA examinations and a need for an addendum opinion addressing whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to acoustic trauma during service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) memorandum. The Veteran's respiratory disorder, to include COPD, will be examined by VA to determine its onset during service or its relation to in-service exposures.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an addendum opinion from the September 27, 2023 examiner regarding whether the Veteran's current hearing loss is related to service. The examiner must address the decibel shifts in the Veteran's right ear hearing acuity between entrance and separation.