Hearing loss decisions — 2025

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of evidence supporting current diagnoses or a nexus to service.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that the evidence supports its onset during active duty.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and denied increased ratings for left ear hearing loss, degenerative disc disease, dermatitis, and epilepsy, grand mal.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that the evidence did not support a compensable rating or service connection for any of the conditions appealed.

The appeal was withdrawn and dismissed for hearing loss, a headache disability, joint pain, memory loss, and fatigue. Tinnitus was granted due to service connection. Other issues were remanded.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss as the Veteran does not currently have a disability under 38 C.F.R. § 3.385.

The appeal was denied due to the untimeliness of the higher-level review request and the failure to meet criteria for earlier effective dates and increased ratings for various service-connected conditions.

The Board granted an initial 50 percent evaluation for service-connected cluster headaches and denied service connection for hearing loss, while granting service connection for a right lateral collateral ligament sprain as secondary to the left ankle disability and obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD.

The Board denied the claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for pseudofolliculitis barbae and left ear hearing loss, as well as service connection for COPD. The claims for right knee arthritis and bilateral foot condition were remanded.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral shin splints. The claims for a cervical spine disability and lumbar spine disability were remanded.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, posttraumatic stress disorder, and bilateral hip osteoarthritis secondary to left shoulder arthritis. The claim for hypertension was remanded due to a predecisional duty to assist error.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and/or another acquired psychiatric disability as the evidence did not support a finding of a current disability or an increase in severity during active duty training.

The Board granted service connection for headaches and lumbar spine disability, while denying service connection for traumatic brain injury (TBI), sciatica radicular pain hypoesthesia, paresthesia of the left lower extremity (LLE) and right lower extremity (RLE), cervical spine disability, radicular pain hypoesthesia, paresthesia of the left upper extremity (LUE) and right upper extremity (RUE), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), third digit of left hand, pain, third digit of right hand, pain, degenerative joint disease with impingement syndrome, right shoulder status post arthroscopy, left shoulder strain, gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), bilateral hearing loss, hemorrhoids, and onychomycosis.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus to obtain an adequate medical opinion that reviews all relevant evidence, including the Veteran's military personnel records.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a male reproductive system disorder, GERD, sleep disorder, headache disorder, and hearing loss disorder due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board denied service connection for a respiratory disability, to include pneumonia. A 10 percent rating was granted for bilateral hearing loss but denied increased ratings for right ankle and tinnitus disabilities.

The Board granted a 10 percent disability rating for the service-connected scar, status-post appendectomy, but denied all other claims for increased ratings and service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as well as remanded certain issues for further development.