Hearing loss decisions — 2025

The Board remands all service connection claims for further development, including obtaining additional evidence and medical opinions.

The Board granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding it to be secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral otitis externa.

The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to September 17, 2024, and an increased rating from 10 percent thereafter. The case was remanded for further consideration of an extraschedular rating.

The Board denied an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss based on the average puretone thresholds and speech recognition scores not meeting the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board remands the claim for a more thorough VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right ear hearing loss, specifically addressing whether it was aggravated by service-connected left ear hearing loss.

The appeal was partially successful, with the claim for tinnitus being granted and other claims remanded for further development.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and hypertension to obtain additional medical opinions.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include alcohol use disorder, mood disorder, and anxiety disorder secondary to traumatic brain injury (TBI), but denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, a left eye condition, cervical spine degenerative arthritis, spondylosis, and bilateral wrist tendonitis.

The Board denied a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss and a higher than 10 percent disability rating for tinnitus.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a lower back disability to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board remands the claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss to correct a predecisional duty to assist error in satisfying a regulatory or statutory duty.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as the evidence did not support that these conditions were caused by an injury or illness during active duty for training (ACDUTRA) service.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the condition began during the Veteran's active military service.

The Board denied a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss and remanded several issues related to interstitial lung disease, psychiatric disability, fatigue, vertigo, muscle disability, Raynaud's phenomenon, gastrointestinal disability, difficulty swallowing, headache, skin disability, blurred vision, upper respiratory symptoms, and vertigo as secondary conditions.

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

The Board granted a 10 percent rating for hypertension prior to April 17, 2024 and a 30 percent rating from June 16, 2023 to April 17, 2024. A 100 percent rating was also granted for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with atrial fibrillation.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding a nexus to the Veteran's active-duty service.

The Board denied service connection for a right knee condition, right ear hearing loss, and left ear hearing loss as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claims for service connection for back pain, kidney disability, and left shoulder and arm nerve disability due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss based on the current level of disability, as determined by audiometric testing.