Hearing loss decisions — 2024

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral heavy/painful legs, type II diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, lumbar strain (back condition), gastric neoplasm/ulcer (stomach cancer), and a chronic multi-symptom illness are being readjudicated due to the submission of new and relevant evidence.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied as the evidence does not show an improvement in his hearing before November 2020.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, skin disorder, left knee disability, right knee disability, and PTSD evaluation.

The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, as the evidence did not support an increase in the ratings or entitlement to TDIU.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including a right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, low back disability, cervical spine disability, obstructive sleep apnea, right foot disability, left foot disability, and bilateral hearing loss, due to missing records from the Social Security Administration (SSA).

The Board denied service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current condition did not have its onset during service and is not related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to duty-to-assist errors and requests for additional evidence, including private medical records from the Veteran's railroad employment. The Veteran seeks service connection for tinnitus as secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's rating for bilateral hearing loss was reduced from 10 percent to zero percent, effective May 1, 2024. The Board found the reduction improper and restored a 10 percent disability rating.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's hearing acuity showed Level I impairment in both ears during the entire appeal period, and therefore, he does not meet the criteria for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral pes planus are remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of hearing loss in the right ear and tinnitus due to inadequate medical opinions provided by the VA examiner. The claims will be returned for further examination and opinion.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current statements were inconsistent with the contemporaneous evidence. The conditions are not considered to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee condition is granted. The Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability in her left ear for VA purposes.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of hearing loss sufficient to constitute a disability for VA purposes.,The Board granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, concluding that her preexisting condition worsened during active service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, anxiety disorder, low back condition, and headache condition due to a lack of evidence meeting VA criteria. The claims are being remanded for further development.

The rating reduction for the Veteran's low back disability from 10 percent to noncompensable was improper, and the 10 percent rating is restored. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied, while service connection for tinnitus was granted.

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

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unemployable due to their severity.