Hearing loss decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and prostate cancer due to incomplete records and inadequate medical opinions.

The Board dismissed the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, right knee, right hand, left knee, right ankle, and residuals of a traumatic brain injury due to untimely appeals or lack of evidence supporting current disability.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, denied an initial evaluation in excess of 50 percent for sleep apnea, and denied a compensable evaluation for a left knee scar. The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, cluster headaches, and increased ratings for the left knee, back, GERD, and TDIU were remanded.

The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea, left shoulder bicipital tendon tear, hypogonadism, erectile dysfunction, and left carpal tunnel syndrome. The claims for increased ratings for lumbar spondylosis with facet arthropathy and lumbosacral strain, right hip strain with osteoarthritis, other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, left and right ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome (to include iliotibial band syndrome), and chronic right wrist sprain were denied. The Board also granted an effective date of July 7, 2023 for the award of increased ratings.

The Board granted the appeal and restored service connection for GERD with cirrhosis of the liver, cholelithiasis with chronic cholecystitis, and surgical and painful right subcostal scars, s/p cholecystectomy. The claim for readjudication of PTSD was also granted, while other claims were denied.

The Board remands the claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and a higher than 10 percent rating for bilateral foot porokeratosis in soles, metatarsalgia both feet to correct a duty to notify error.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there was no evidence of a current disability meeting VA criteria during the appeal period.

The Board remands the matter to provide the Veteran with notice regarding his right to a hearing on a supplemental claim, correcting an error by the agency of original jurisdiction.

The Board granted service connection for radiculopathy of the left upper extremity and denied increased ratings for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, while remanding claims for a cervical spine disability, hypertension, and a left shoulder disorder.

The Board remands the claims for service connection due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding VA's obligation to obtain relevant records from the Social Security Administration.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for an eye condition, hearing loss, heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes due to a regulatory duty to assist error.

The appeal for service connection for hypertension is dismissed as the claim has been fully granted. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, back disability, fatigue, and acquired psychiatric disability are remanded for further development.

The Board denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and special monthly compensation (SMC) for the period from August 29, 2014, to June 16, 2019.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that the evidence did not support a finding of a causal relationship between the claimed conditions and active duty service.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, as the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the award of a 100 percent rating for PTSD and major depressive disorder, an earlier effective date for TDIU due to service-connected conditions, and a compensable rating for hypertension. The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and coronary artery disease were remanded.

The appeal for initial ratings in excess of 10% for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as the appeal for an initial rating in excess of 50% for unspecified anxiety disorder with insomnia, were dismissed due to untimely notice of disagreement. The claim for TDIU was also denied.

The Board denied service connection for chronic sinusitis, fibromyalgia, left and right ear hearing loss, and gastroenteritis, but granted service connection for migraine headaches. The claims for an initial evaluation higher than 30 percent for chronic sinusitis and 20 percent for fibromyalgia were also denied.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of May 29, 2018, for the 70 percent rating assigned for PTSD with alcohol use disorder and denied a higher initial rating. The decision also addressed various other claims related to service connection, TDIU, DEA benefits, and special monthly compensation.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a compensable disability rating for left ear hearing loss based on the mechanical application of the diagnostic criteria to the evidence.