Hearing loss decisions — 2026

The appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed.,Entitlement to a disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent for left foot great toe metatarsal trauma was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance or at the housebound rate due to his ability to perform most activities of daily living independently despite some limitations.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that both conditions are at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's active duty service due to noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was dismissed due to procedural defects in the initial and subsequent appeals.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss but has remanded the claim for skin cancer due to inadequate medical opinions regarding exposure and causation.

The Veteran withdrew all appeals related to his claims, including those for increased ratings and service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating of his bilateral hearing loss disability was granted, with the restoration of a 90% disability rating effective July 1, 2025. The matter of a higher than 90% rating is being remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that his hearing difficulties began during service and continued to worsen over time.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. The appeals for hypertension, dizziness/vertigo, and headaches have been dismissed due to withdrawal by the Veteran.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions were not incurred during his period of active duty training (ACDUTRA). The examiner opined that there was no nexus between the current hearing loss and tinnitus and his ACDUTRA service.

The Veteran is not eligible for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) as he can independently perform all activities of daily living without requiring personal care services and is not in need of supervision or protection based on symptoms or residuals of neurological or other impairment or injury.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for increased disability ratings for bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, type II with erectile dysfunction, coronary artery disease, and hypothyroidism as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of audiometric data from service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, glaucoma, and pseudophakia.,Service connection is established for these conditions based on direct evidence of a link between the conditions and military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected, with the Board finding that both conditions began during active service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus was denied. The decision also found that a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss since June 29, 2024, is not warranted, and an earlier effective date than June 29, 2024, for the award of service connection for tinnitus is not granted.,The Veteran's claim for obstructive sleep apnea was denied due to a lack of evidence showing that his current diagnosis began during service or was related to in-service injury. The Board gave more weight to the VA examiner's opinion which concluded that OSA is not related to toxic exposure risk activities or COPD.,For bilateral hearing loss, the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating as his hearing acuity levels were at Level I in both ears.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of hypertension, left forearm pain, left hip pain, left knee pain, left shoulder pain, right ear hearing loss, right forearm pain, or right shoulder pain.,Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active duty service, as there is no evidence of a pre-existing condition or aggravation during service. The post-service noise exposure from occupational work is considered more likely responsible for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a link between her in-service noise exposure and her current hearing loss disability.

The Board denied service connection for skin rash, right ear hearing loss, and actinic keratosis. The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine was rated as 10 percent disabling, left ear hearing loss was not compensable, and his actinic keratosis did not meet criteria for a higher rating.