Hearing loss decisions — 2025

The Board denied a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss and a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus, and remanded the claims for service connection for recurrent lumbar spine, right wrist, left wrist, and left foot disabilities.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss based on a finding of continuous symptoms since service, which is considered a presumptive condition.

The appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was withdrawn and dismissed, while the claim for a lower back disability is remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, and remanded the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder due to military sexual trauma.

The Board denied service connection for right and left ear hearing loss as the evidence did not show a current disability or a link to service.

The Board granted an effective date for TDIU and SMC from September 1, 2017, but denied earlier effective dates for service connection of various conditions. It also granted a 10% rating for GERD starting July 5, 2016, and other ratings as detailed.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for non-allergic rhinitis, an increased rating for asthma, service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board restored the 50 percent rating for bilateral foot disorders and denied restoration of the 50 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD due to lack of DSM-5 diagnosis, granted service connection for bipolar 1 disorder based on in-service stressor and continuous lay evidence of symptoms, and granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss based on in-service acoustic trauma. The respiratory disability claim was remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and reinstatement of a 10 percent disability rating for asthma, as well as a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss.

The Board granted a 70 percent rating for PTSD and denied an increased rating for hearing loss, while granting presumptive service connection for hypertension.

The appeal of the issue of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss was dismissed due to an untimely Notice of Disagreement.

The Board granted a separate 10 percent rating for tinnitus and a 30 percent rating for Meniere's disease with vertigo, effective from February 24, 2018. It also granted an initial 50 percent rating for headaches and a total rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from August 8, 2019.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, depression with eating disorder, and sleep apnea to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was dismissed due to a procedural error in filing duplicate Notices of Disagreement.

The Board denied service connection for left ear hearing loss as the evidence did not support a current diagnosis of hearing loss for VA purposes.

The Board granted a higher initial rating of 30 percent for chronic urticaria and a higher initial rating of 50 percent, but no higher, for migraine headaches from March 2, 2021, to August 5, 2021. The claim for a higher rating for migraine headaches from August 5, 2021, was denied, as well as the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there is no current disability for VA purposes.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings, finding that the earliest possible effective date was provided.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The remaining issues related to the right ankle, lumbar spine, cervical spine, and pes planus were remanded.