Hearing loss decisions — 2026

The Veteran's wife has been providing regular care and assistance to the Veteran since February 13, 2017 due to his service-connected disabilities. The Board grants an effective date of February 13, 2017 for SMC based on need for aid and attendance.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea, allergic rhinitis (sinusitis), and an acquired psychiatric disability (major depressive disorder with anxiety). The evidence did not show the presence of these conditions during the pendency of the claim.,The Veteran's reports of symptoms were insufficient to meet the first element of service connection as he had no complaints or treatment for sleep, sinus, or psychiatric disabilities prior to his September 2025 statement.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection, while the issue of bilateral hearing loss remains remanded for further development.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and GERD are granted as service-connected.,Service connection is also granted for dementia, CAD, and migraine headaches.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for various disability ratings and service connection claims due to untimely filings.

The Veteran's service-connected kidney cancer and hearing loss have precluded him from securing or following any substantially gainful employment, leading to a TDIU rating.

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 active military service.

The appeals for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and left shoulder disabilities have been dismissed.,A 70 percent initial evaluation has been granted for the service-connected psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for tinnitus has been granted, and the issue is dismissed as there remains no case or controversy.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of hearing loss and Meniere's Disease for further development due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus and right wrist disability, but denied for bilateral hearing loss and headaches.,The Veteran's service records do not show a current diagnosis of bronchial asthma or an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at zero percent, as the VA examinations did not show any exceptional pattern of hearing impairment.,Both his right knee strain and cervical strain are currently rated at ten percent. The Board has remanded these issues for additional examination to consider the ameliorative effects of medication.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and right leg venous insufficiency with deep vein thrombosis are being remanded due to the need for additional development under the PACT Act.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his hearing acuity did not meet the criteria for any higher rating under VA regulations.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for service connection for left ear hearing loss, lower back condition, and sleep apnea. The decision granted service connection for right ear hearing loss at zero percent effective February 13, 2024.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is denied as there was no evidence of a current disability during service, and the VA examiner concluded that his hearing loss is not related to service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was dismissed due to untimely filing. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection as there is no evidence of a nexus between his current disabilities and service.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent effective November 2, 2010. His hearing loss is rated as non-compensable prior to February 2, 2013 and a rating in excess of 10 percent from that date. Service connection for tinnitus earlier than March 31, 2011 is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected recurrent granulomatous meningitis with right temporo parietal lobe cerebritis residuals, recurrent amnestic disorder, and bilateral hearing loss are granted. The issue of entitlement to a total rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) is remanded.