Hearing loss decisions — 2024

The Board has dismissed all appeals related to the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for various hearing and sinus conditions due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Veteran's claims of increased disability evaluations for his left ear hearing loss and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with degenerative arthritis and popliteal cyst, as well as service connection for left chronic epididymitis with hypogonadism, are remanded. His claim for a left heel disorder is also remanded.

The Veteran's right and left ear hearing loss, as well as tinnitus, are granted service connection. The Veteran's right arm and shoulder disabilities remain denied.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issue of tinnitus due to a duty-to-assist error in the September 2019 VA examiner's opinion.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as they are related to active duty service, including Reserve service. The AOJ is required to verify ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA dates and obtain an adequate VA medical opinion.

The Veteran's claim for a total rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) has been granted with an effective date of September 23, 2021. The TDIU was awarded due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and his inability to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there was no evidence of a current disability at the time of the VA examination.,The Veteran's claims for right lung disorder, GERD, left toe gout, joint pain (due to left toe gout), and fatigue are all denied due to lack of service connection.,OSA claim is remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issue of service connection for asthma due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Board has determined that the September 2020 VA examination is inadequate and remands the case for a new examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete evidence and for further development, including obtaining VA medical records and private treatment records related to the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and right knee disability.

The Veteran's right upper extremity radiculopathy and left upper extremity radiculopathy were granted initial ratings of 40 percent and 30 percent, respectively. Bilateral hearing loss was restored to a 10 percent rating from June 3, 2019. Claims for service connection were denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU for the period prior to June 21, 2023, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation. The Board dismissed the TDIU claim for the period from June 21, 2023, as moot due to the Veteran's receipt of a 100% combined disability rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, acquired psychiatric disorders including anxiety and depression with PTSD, foot pain (plantar fasciitis), and back condition are all granted. The claim for increased rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to September 23, 2020 is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for epidermoid tumor, hearing loss, stroke, and vision loss, left eye due to incomplete VA treatment records and inadequate medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to outstanding medical records and potential VA treatment records that have not been obtained.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted. The claim for a compensable evaluation for right eye retinal scar prior to June 14, 2023, and in excess of 10 percent thereafter is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for seizure disorder and migraine headaches, as well as service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to outstanding medical records and additional development.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lung nodules, finding that his current condition is at least as likely as not due to his inservice pneumonia. However, it denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, concluding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing impairment and active service.

The Board denied a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's hearing impairment did not meet or approximate the criteria for any higher rating.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the condition is related to in-service noise exposure.