Hearing loss decisions — 2024

The appeal of the cervical strain claim is dismissed as a complete grant was made in March 2024.,Service connection for chronic sinusitis, bilateral hearing loss, right elbow tendinitis, and left elbow tendinitis remains denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was reopened and granted.,Service connection for Crohn's disease with ulcerative colitis was also granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right ear hearing loss, neurological disorder (claimed as a seizure disorder and epilepsy), and acquired psychiatric disorder due to inadequate VA medical opinions. Further examination is required.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, when taken together, prevent him from securing or following a 'substantially gainful' occupation given his prior vocational history and the impact of his service-connected right foot disabilities (i.e., pes planus, hallux valgus, and hallux rigidus), left foot disability(status post fracture with hallux valgus), back disability, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, right foot and back scars, and GERD, when taken together, have on obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful non-sedentary employment and sedentary employment, including in his past employment as a police officer.

The Board denied the Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The effective dates for his service connection awards for hypertension, gynecomastia, and a left shoulder burn scar were all set to September 23, 2015.

Service connection granted for right knee degenerative arthritis, left knee degenerative arthritis, and right shoulder osteoarthritis.,Service connection denied for a left rotator cuff condition (claimed as shoulder/arm arthritis), vision loss, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral dry eyes with light sensitivity, tinnitus, left ear hearing loss, allergic rhinitis, cervical spine degenerative disease, recurrent right wrist tendonitis, fractured base of the fifth metacarpal of the right hand, asthma with obstructive sleep apnea, and GERD have all been granted effective December 1, 2017.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for bronchitis, a right shoulder disability, left wrist disability, left hand disability (claimed as osteoarthritis and tendonitis), and a left knee disability were denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated as noncompensable. The Board found that the evidence did not support a compensable rating.,The Veteran is seeking service connection for hypertension, stomach disability (GERD), skin cancer, and right testicle cancer. These issues are being remanded due to incomplete development of his claims.

The Veteran's appeal of the claim for an initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss has been dismissed.,The claims for service connection for a left hip disability and right hip disability have been remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was rated at 40 percent prior to April 1, 2022 and granted a 50 percent rating from that date forward. The decision is based on the results of VA audiological examinations conducted in December 2017 and April 2022.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to new evidence received and other procedural issues. The claims regarding bilateral hearing loss, right forearm disability, left forearm disability, and left hand disability are all being remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his auditory acuity did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including IBS, left shoulder rotator cuff syndrome with subdeltoid bursitis, tinnitus, right and left knee arthritis, and bilateral hearing loss, have prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment for the appeal period from January 19, 2016, through November 4, 2019. The Board finds that his service-connected conditions alone are sufficient to meet the criteria for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis and excluding periods of temporary total rating.

The Veteran's service-connected heart disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and work history, thus the TDIU claim is denied.

The Veteran's initial separate and compensable disability rating of 20 percent for bilateral dry eye syndrome has been granted. The remaining issues have been remanded due to insufficient evidence or need for further examination.

The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate previous opinions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been increased to a 20 percent rating effective August 12, 2023. Prior to this date, the disability was rated as noncompensable.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The case needs further development and an additional VA examination.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable throughout the period on appeal, and the Board finds that a compensable rating is not warranted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, chronic pain syndrome, multiple sclerosis, bilateral hearing loss, and a psychiatric disorder have all been denied.,There is no evidence of any in-service injury or illness that could be linked to the current conditions.