Hearing loss decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate findings in a previous VA opinion and failure to consider secondary service connection based on tinnitus.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hepatitis C, left ankle condition, right ankle condition (claimed as residuals of right ankle sprain), and vision condition. Service connection was remanded for diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension were also remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right ear hearing loss disabilities have been denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a current disability of left ear hearing loss, as his audiometric test results do not meet the standards at 38 C.F.R. § 3.385. For the right ear hearing loss, the Board determined that the Veteran's speech recognition scores and pure tone thresholds did not warrant a compensable evaluation.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left ear and right ear hearing loss due to a lack of compliance with previous remand directives.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, unspecified insomnia disorder, alcohol abuse, obstructive sleep apnea, basal cell carcinoma, tinnitus, GERD, bilateral hearing loss, and erectile dysfunction, render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU.

The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a current diagnosis sufficient for VA purposes.

The Veteran's left lateral collateral ligament sprain is granted a 20 percent rating, effective from the date of the decision. The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board has found that the Veteran does not have a current right ear hearing loss disability, as defined by VA regulations. The claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss is denied. For the left ear hearing loss claim, the Board has identified a pre-decisional duty to assist error and has ordered a remand for an updated VA examination and etiological opinion.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not meet the criteria for financial assistance in purchasing an automobile or other conveyance due to lack of permanent loss of use of one or both feet, hands, or vision.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date of August 20, 2019, for service connection and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has been granted. The Veteran is currently rated at 0% for his bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability does not meet the definition of a hearing loss disability for VA purposes.,There is no evidence showing that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss began during service or within one year after service, and there is insufficient medical evidence to link her current left ear hearing loss to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to tinnitus is being remanded due to insufficient medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is remanded due to the need for additional evidence and correction of a duty-to-assist error.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and foot disorder claims have been remanded due to insufficient medical opinions.,Service connection is denied for bilateral hearing loss as there is no current disability meeting VA criteria. The back disorder claim remains pending.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, PTSD with alcohol use disorder, and tinnitus were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the regulatory criteria for a current hearing loss disability in either ear, his PTSD symptoms did not warrant an initial rating higher than 50 percent, and his tinnitus met the schedular criteria for a maximum 10 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability due to insufficient medical opinion regarding its etiology. The Veteran is not shown to have current left ear hearing loss or tinnitus, and his tinnitus was not related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss. Service connection is denied for psychiatric disability, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, left shoulder, right shoulder, left knee, and right knee.,Service connection was not established for a psychiatric disability, sleep apnea, or high blood pressure due to lack of evidence of such conditions during the pendency of the claim. Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as secondary to service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for a bilateral hearing loss (BHL) disability due to the need for a medical nexus opinion regarding its etiology. The Veteran's BHL disability is currently diagnosed, and the examiner should provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not related to service or secondary to his service-connected bilateral tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure.