Hearing loss decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete personnel records from the Texas Army National Guard. The DROC is instructed to obtain these records and provide a new opinion on whether the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus were caused by noise exposure during military training exercises.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, tendonitis, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, prevented him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation prior to February 27, 2018.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a left upper extremity disability due to service-connected burn scar. The claims are being returned for further development and consideration of new medical opinions.

The Board has decided that the evidence is insufficient to dismiss the Veteran's inquiry about the PACT Act, and thus remanded for further development regarding potential toxic exposures.

The Veteran was granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied service connection for high blood pressure.,The Board found that the Veteran's military service likely exposed him to noise hazards, which contributed to his current conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent, and therefore his claim for an increased rating is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and a bilateral foot condition should be remanded due to inadequate medical opinions and the need for further examinations.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have more nearly approximated the criteria for occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas since June 5, 2020.,From June 17, 2019, multiple service-connected disabilities rendered the Veteran unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left ear hearing loss, bi-polar disorder, Meniere's disease (MD), vertigo, right ear hearing loss, and right ear tinnitus are all remanded due to the need for additional medical examination. The Board will consider these issues in light of any new evidence obtained.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected due to noise exposure during active duty.,The right knee disability and low back disability are remanded for further development, including obtaining a VA examination and medical opinion.,The sciatic radicular pain of the right leg is also remanded for further development, including obtaining a VA examination and medical opinion.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been submitted regarding the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, to include as secondary to nasal septal deformity, and bilateral hearing loss. The AOJ is therefore required to consider these claims on their merits.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for peripheral neuropathy in both the left and right lower extremities.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is found to have manifested during his military service and the Board finds that it is related to in-service noise exposure. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a pre-decisional error in not obtaining an adequate VA medical opinion prior to the August 2022 rating decision on appeal. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to noise exposure during service, but there was no positive threshold shift indicated during time in service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 60 percent, effective from the date of this decision. The Veteran also has service-connected tinnitus and other conditions that do not meet the criteria for TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and readjudicated the low back disability claim. The Veteran's current degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is found to be related to his service-connected left great toe and ankle disability.,Service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is granted as secondary to a service-connected condition (left great toe and ankle).

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to January 5, 2019 for a total disability due to individual unemployability (TDIU) rating. The decision found that entitlement to TDIU did not arise until January 5, 2019 when the combined disability rating of 70 percent was achieved.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hyperlipidemia and a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss have been denied. The Board found that hyperlipidemia is not a qualifying disability for VA purposes, and the Veteran's hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and sleep apnea have been denied as there is no current disability of such disorders, and the evidence does not support a finding that they are related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is rated at 0 percent, the lowest possible rating. The Board found that his hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating based on the objective results of clinical testing.