Hearing loss decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, but remanded the claims for right ear hearing loss and vertigo due to insufficient evidence.

The Board granted service connection for rhinitis and disability manifested by shortness of breath, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and Vitamin D deficiency. The Board also granted an initial 20 percent rating for thoracolumbar spine strain.

The Veteran's requests for extensions of time to file appeals from rating decisions that denied service connection were denied, and the attempted appeals are dismissed.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a left foot disorder, left shoulder disorder, lumbar spine disorder, and bilateral hearing loss to obtain outstanding VA treatment records and schedule the Veteran for VA examinations.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding it to be etiologically linked to the Veteran's active-duty service.

The Board granted service connection for erectile dysfunction, cervical spine condition, and tinea pedis and unguium but denied service connection for earaches, bilateral hearing loss, and vertigo.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for Meniere's syndrome with vertigo and zero percent for right ear hearing loss, as the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability. Several conditions were remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss as the Veteran does not currently have a disability for VA benefits purposes.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a neck disability, and a tailbone disability as there was no evidence of current disabilities related to the Veteran's active-duty service.

The Board denied service connection for right ear and left ear hearing loss, an increased rating for depressive disorder with anxiety disorder and insomnia, and an increased rating for bilateral plantar fasciitis. The issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral flatfoot (pes planus) and right lower extremity radiculopathy were remanded.

The Board denied higher initial ratings for cervical strain, right shoulder strain, left knee strain with shin splints, and right knee strain with shin splints. However, it granted a 20 percent rating for bilateral dry eye syndrome and a 10 percent rating for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Service connection was also granted for major depressive disorder, recurrent episode, mild and generalized anxiety disorder (claimed as ADHD) and tinnitus.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease on its own prevents him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, allowing for an earlier effective date of May 23, 2016 for the award of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the statutory housebound criteria.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss and a compensable disability rating for hypertension.

The Board granted service connection for allergic rhinitis and denied service connection for left ear hearing loss, while dismissing the appeal for sinusitis. The claims for initial disability ratings for acute bronchitis and right knee osteoarthritis were remanded.

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

The Board granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and a higher initial disability rating of 20 percent for hypertension, but denied a higher initial (compensable) disability rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss and service connection for major depressive disorder, among other issues. The decision also remanded several claims for further development.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss to obtain an adequate medical opinion addressing the etiology of the condition.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left hand numbness, a bilateral foot condition, and gastrointestinal problems due to inadequate VA medical opinions.