Hearing loss decisions — 2026

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development on the issues of service connection for sleep apnea, kidney stones, lumbosacral strain, and left lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve.,Service connection for left ear hearing loss was denied as there is no current evidence showing a disability meeting VA's criteria.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the Board is dismissing the claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, right foot condition, and left foot condition.

The Veteran's appeals for various disability ratings have been dismissed due to his death. The right eye dyscoria and PTSD issues were pursued under both the Legacy Appeal system and the AMA simultaneously, but these issues are now included in the dismissal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral knee, back, tinnitus, and hearing loss, did not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment from April 21, 2021 to April 21, 2022.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for right ear hearing loss was dismissed as untimely. The claim of a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability was denied, and the Veteran was granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 10 percent evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the claim was not continuously pursued and no earlier effective date is warranted.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are proximately due to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD renders him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss disability, obstructive sleep apnea, and TDIU due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran is also entitled to a VA examination to address these issues.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error and needs additional medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim is denied as the evidence does not meet the VA criteria for a diagnosis of hearing loss.,Service connection for OCD is denied due to lack of medical evidence supporting its onset during service or related to service. The private psychologist's opinion was deemed inadequate and speculative.,Right knee pain is denied as there is no diagnosed condition, only reported symptoms from active duty.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was evaluated as Level I in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable rating. The Board denied the claim for a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's disabilities are related to service and remands for further development.

The Veteran's dermatitis is granted as service connection, with the condition having arisen in service and continuing since.,Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied as there is no evidence of a current disability for VA purposes or due to service.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service-connected conditions, including chronic sinusitis, chronic fatigue syndrome, bilateral restless leg syndrome, generalized anxiety disorder, persistent depressive disorder, somatic symptom disorder, lumbosacral strain (claimed as pain of lumbar spine), left sciatic radicular pain, right sciatic radicular pain, tremors of the hands, chronic headaches, coronary heart disease, dermatosis hands, functional abdominal pain syndrome/abdominal pain and bloating, right ear sensorineural hearing loss, and left ear sensorineural hearing loss. The Board has remanded these issues for further development.,The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service-connected conditions, including chronic sinusitis, chronic fatigue syndrome, bilateral restless leg syndrome, generalized anxiety disorder, persistent depressive disorder, somatic symptom disorder, lumbosacral strain (claimed as pain of lumbar spine), left sciatic radicular pain, right sciatic radicular pain, tremors of the hands, chronic headaches, coronary heart disease, dermatosis hands, functional abdominal pain syndrome/abdominal pain and bloating, right ear sensorineural hearing loss, and left ear sensorineural hearing loss. The Board has remanded these issues for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's bilateral tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is sufficient evidence to support a nexus between his in-service hazardous noise exposure and these disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, headaches, left knee disability, and sleep apnea were dismissed as the appeal was untimely filed.,Service connection for tinnitus was granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).

The Board denied service connection for prostate cancer, hypertension, and bilateral hearing loss as there was no evidence of onset or manifestation during service or within one year post-service. The Veteran's lay statements were not considered sufficient to establish a nexus between the conditions and service.