Hearing loss decisions — 2026

The Board has found that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his active duty service. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and lumbar spine disability are being remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

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

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to an improper concurrent election of review options, as the Higher-Level Review requests were still pending and not withdrawn at the time the VA Form 10182 was submitted.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his exposure to hazardous noise during active service, and the Board has granted entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran did not have a current disability as defined by VA regulations and that her claims were not related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable rating for bronchitis and service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for bronchitis, as the post-bronchodilator FEV-1 predicted value of 94% was consistent with a noncompensable disability rating under Diagnostic Code 6600. For bilateral hearing loss, service connection was denied due to lack of audiometric findings meeting criteria for a grant of service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connected due to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability, bilateral foot disability, and obstructive sleep apnea are all under review.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's previously denied claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being readjudicated, and the issue of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Veteran's TDIU and SMC at the housebound rate are granted due to his service-connected disabilities, including migraine headaches, adjustment disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, chronic fatigue syndrome, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of headaches, cervical spine disability, and right ear hearing loss due to his withdrawal of these claims at a Board hearing.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petitions to readjudicate his previously denied claims for service connection for headaches, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The decision finds that new evidence supports these claims.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, along with other disabilities, has rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. Additionally, he is eligible for special monthly compensation at the housebound rate due to his multiple service-connected conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and major neurocognitive disorder of dementia as secondary to a service-connected disability. The decision found that there was no current evidence of these conditions meeting VA compensation criteria or established a link between them and her military service.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current diagnosis of hearing loss for VA purposes.,The Veteran's claim for tinnitus is denied as the evidence does not support a nexus between his service and his current condition.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran was exposed to acoustic trauma during active service and has experienced symptoms of bilateral hearing loss continuously since separation from service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, recurrent STI (claimed as herpes), chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory insufficiency dyspnea, hypertension, constipation, allergic rhinitis, and headaches have all been denied.,For the entire appeal period, a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD with alcohol use disorder due to MST has also been denied.

The Veteran's appeals on the issues of service connection for circulatory and allergic reactions have been withdrawn. The appeal for bilateral hearing loss disability is granted, but the appeal for respiratory/pulmonary impairment is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate previous examination and issues with scheduling a new VA examination.