Hearing loss decisions — 2024

The Veteran's right knee disability, GERD, acquired mental health condition (excluding PTSD), and bilateral pes planus with bilateral plantar fasciitis, achilles tendonitis have been granted service connection. The Veteran's hernia, left side, groin muscle disability, right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, left ear injury, throat gland disability, and ear wart disability have not been established as service-connected.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of various knee, ankle, and cervical spine disabilities have been remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss disability and tinnitus, but denied service connection for left ear hearing loss disability.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during service and is related to in-service noise exposure. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been denied. Effective dates earlier than June 30, 2017, are not warranted.,Service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus is granted with effective date of June 30, 2017.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his bilateral hearing loss, left knee degenerative arthritis, and hip disabilities have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of entitlement to any compensable rating for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for migraine headaches, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to incomplete development of evidence and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's symptoms began during his military service and have continued since.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's hearing loss, pension reduction, and overpayment waivers due to insufficient development. The appeals are now pending for further review.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no direct relationship between his current hearing loss and his military service. The evidence does not show a nexus to noise exposure in service or within one year of separation from service.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus. The claim for left ear hearing loss is remanded due to a lack of an adequate medical opinion regarding the aggravation of pre-existing hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss began during his military service and is related to noise exposure in service.

The Veteran's 60 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss was restored to its original level of 60 percent, effective July 1, 2020. The reduction from 60 percent to 30 percent was found improper due to a failure to meet the requirements for actual improvement in the disability.

The Veteran's service connection claims for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been granted. However, the Veteran's claim for a compensable initial rating for his right inguinal hernia has been denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current diagnosis of a hearing disability that meets VA criteria.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD has rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The appeal for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is dismissed. DIC benefits pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 1318 are denied.

The Veteran withdrew their appeals for bilateral hearing loss and syphilis before the Board could make a decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence showing a current disability existed during or as a result of his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to incomplete STRs and the need for additional development.