Hearing loss decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus and left upper extremity radiculopathy, but denied service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, chronic sinusitis, left great toe ingrown toenail disability, right knee disability, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, and chronic fatigue syndrome. The Board also denied increased ratings for left shoulder strain, right shoulder degenerative arthritis, left knee anterior cruciate ligament tear, and acute intermittent tension.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, and remanded the issue of common variable immune deficiency.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for lumbosacral strain but denied ratings in excess of 10 percent for left lower extremity radiculopathy and service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, tension headaches, testicular torsion, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that his symptoms did not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 40 percent for lumbar strain, a rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of cholecystectomy, and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. A 20 percent rating was granted for laparotomy scars, abdomen.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and denied it for hearing loss, while remanding the claims for a right hip condition, spine condition, and left wrist condition.

The Board remands the claims for further development and to provide the Veteran with notice concerning his right to a hearing on his supplemental claim.

The Board granted service connection for adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, but denied service connection for left shoulder pain, eye pain, and a higher rating for right ear hearing loss.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, resolving all reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The Board granted service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia on a presumptive basis, but denied higher initial ratings for PTSD, left shoulder disability (surgical scars), bilateral hearing loss, and remanded several other claims.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, lumbosacral degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease other than intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), neck degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease other than intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), and an initial compensable rating for acquired psychiatric disorder including major depressive disorder (MDD).

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected Parkinsonism, as it meets the criteria for such benefits.

The Board denied a disability rating in excess of 0 percent for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran withdrew the appeal before a decision was issued, and all service connection claims were dismissed.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for a left shoulder disorder, service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, and remanded the issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board granted earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for loss of smell, loss of taste, dysphagia, RFS, and xerostomia associated with SCC, as well as restored a 10 percent disability rating for bilateral hearing loss with eustachian tube dysfunction.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss to correct an error by the AOJ in satisfying the regulatory duty to provide the Veteran with notice of his right to a pre-decisional hearing.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a disability rating of 10 percent for residuals of prostate cancer.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for right ear hearing loss resulting from surgery performed at a VA Medical Center in August 2009, as it was not proximately caused by carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault on the part of VA.

The Board remands the appellant's claims for additional development due to inconsistencies and lack of credible evidence regarding the nature and circumstances of his claimed service.