Hearing loss decisions — 2025

The Board granted an initial 100 percent rating for Meniere's syndrome with tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's symptoms more closely approximate hearing impairment with attacks of vertigo and cerebellar gait occurring more than once weekly.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for all service connection and rating claims, resulting in the dismissal of each claim.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for all issues listed, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review the appeal.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings or service connection.

The Board has denied service connection for multiple conditions and denied higher initial ratings for several service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings or service connection for the claimed conditions.

The Board granted service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in approximate balance regarding their etiological relationship to noise exposure during active duty service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss as the evidence did not support a nexus between the Veteran's in-service noise exposure and his current hearing loss.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 50 percent for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, effective April 17, 2023.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an effective date of October 24, 2022, for obstructive sleep apnea. Other claims were denied or remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss based on the audiometric evaluations and applicable rating criteria.

The Board granted service connection for depressive disorder but denied it for anxiety and did not grant a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to September 25, 2019.

The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including a low back condition and left foot disability, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred during or related to active military service.

The Board granted service connection for TBI, vertigo, left ear hearing loss, sinusitis, and a gastrointestinal disorder. The claims for right ear hearing loss and left knee strain were denied. Service connection was also granted for adjustment disorder with an initial rating of 70 percent, but no higher, and for headaches with an initial rating of 30 percent, but no higher.

The Board denied service connection for left and right ear cholesteatoma, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active service.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for sleep apnea due to an error by the agency of original jurisdiction in satisfying a regulatory duty.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claims for generalized anxiety disorder, allergic rhinitis (claimed as chronic sinusitis), and obstructive sleep apnea due to insufficient medical evidence.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension, but remanded claims for boils/cyst lower extremities/back, bilateral hearing loss, and left knee disorder.

The Board denied service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy, right upper extremity radiculopathy, chronic sinusitis, and bilateral hearing loss. The initial disability ratings for PTSD, cervical spine disability, and left upper extremity radiculopathy were also denied. Several issues related to service connection were remanded.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss due to untimely notice of disagreement, while remanding issues related to hypertension and sleep apnea for further development.