Hearing loss decisions — 2024

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, with no evidence of increased severity.,Service connection for chronic bronchitis has been granted based on presumed exposure to burn pits and other toxins (BPOT).,Service connection for restrictive lung disease/restrictive spirometry pattern was denied due to lack of a clear etiology related to service.,Service connection for an undiagnosed illness manifested by right wrist pain is granted, with the condition being presumed based on BPOT exposure.,Service connection for an undiagnosed illness manifested by right ankle pain is granted, with the condition also presumed based on BPOT exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment, and thus grants a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been granted. The effective date of the award is March 22, 2018.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no earlier effective date sought or indicated by the Veteran.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss but has remanded the case for further development regarding the Veteran's gastrointestinal disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for bilateral hearing loss and temporomandibular disorder, as well as the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, allergic rhinitis, and sinusitis. Service connection is also granted for GERD but the claim for bilateral hearing loss remains pending.

The Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for disabilities of the right knee, left knee, and lumbar spine are dismissed.,An effective date earlier than December 1, 2017, for the award of service connection for residuals of a stroke is denied.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not currently have a bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes, and thus service connection cannot be granted.

The appeals seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss, increased ratings for right knee limited flexion and pain, right knee instability, left knee limited flexion and pain, and left knee instability have been dismissed. The appeal seeking to reopen the previously denied claims of service connection for a left ankle condition (claimed as secondary to service-connected right ankle disability), cervical arthritis, chronic anxiety disorder, and left wrist condition has been granted.

The Board has dismissed the TDIU claim as moot due to the Veteran's receipt of SMC based on his prostate cancer. The anxiety disorder is rated at 50% and no higher, with no evidence of worsening in the one-year appeal period prior to June 4, 2022.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding no current diagnosis of the condition.,The Board remanded the issue of service connection for a right knee disability to include as secondary to service-connected left knee strain and patellofemoral pain syndrome due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions were denied as new and material evidence was not received to reopen the claims. The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of any of the claimed conditions, and there is no link between his active duty service and these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issues of service connection for right foot disability and left foot disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing VA medical opinions regarding the etiology of his claimed conditions. The claims are being returned to the AOJ for further action.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is a causal relationship between his current conditions and in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for gastroesophageal reflux disease, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate opinions in the previous VA examinations. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions as secondary to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities. The Board found that there was insufficient evidence to support a finding of service connection or TDIU due to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, nocturnal bruxism, a scar on the right eye following an accident, retinal degeneration, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity (claimed as bilateral sciatica), and other conditions. The Board found no current disabilities or sufficient evidence to establish service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied service connection for a back disorder. The decision on the back disorder is based on direct evidence showing no in-service injury or disease, with no continuity of symptomatology.