Hearing loss decisions — 2024

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and a respiratory condition (chronic bronchitis/COPD) was granted. The claim for service connection for headaches is pending.

The Veteran's TDIU and DEA benefits claims are granted from July 16, 2010 to October 11, 2016. The SMC based on aid and attendance claim is remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was found to be at a non-compensable level prior to October 19, 2022 and at a compensable level from that date forward. The appeal for increased ratings is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a new opinion regarding the etiology of his hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 0 percent, the minimum rating available.,The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at 10 percent.

The Board denied the claim for an increased evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's hearing acuity did not warrant a rating higher than 20 percent.

The Board granted service connection for asthma with an effective date of August 15, 2013. Service connection was also granted for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, but the specific effective dates are not provided as they were not addressed in this decision. The Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder is characterized by occupational and social impairment due to symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, irritability, chronic sleep impairment, and difficulty establishing work relationships.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated at 10 percent since September 2023. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating, as his hearing impairment was no worse than Level IV in both ears.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss is dismissed because the VA Form 10182 was not timely filed, and good cause has not been shown.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss before the Board could make a decision.

The Board has granted a rating of 10 percent for hypertension and denied entitlement to a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss. The decision is based on the Veteran's history of hypertension and his service-connected left ear hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for tinnitus and entitlement to a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The AOJ is required to obtain an in-person examination of the Veteran for tinnitus, determine the date of onset and functional impact, and request the audiology exam results from St. John's Hospital.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's psychiatric disorder claim is remanded due to new evidence indicating a change in diagnosis from borderline personality disorder to bipolar disorder.,The Veteran's left and right knee disability claims are remanded as there is new evidence of ongoing pain since service.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates of June 15, 2022, for service connection for bilateral macular degeneration and bilateral hearing loss have been granted.,The Veteran's claims for initial compensable disability ratings for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral macular degeneration are remanded.

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

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for headaches, hearing loss, and tinnitus due to a lack of VA examination records from service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in approximate balance as to whether these conditions are related to in-service acoustic trauma.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of the right and left lower extremity radiculopathies, TDIU prior to March 16, 2012, and increased ratings for low back disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathies were granted effective January 7, 2011. The Veteran's claims for service connection for Parkinson's disease and essential tremors, as well as his claim for SMC based on aid and attendance needs, are denied.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus has been dismissed because the Veteran died during the pendency of the appeal.