Hearing loss decisions — 2026

Your appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death. The Board cannot issue a decision on this claim as it is no longer pending.

The Board has denied service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence does not establish a nexus between these conditions and active service.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions including back condition, hearing loss, tinnitus, left knee condition, right knee condition, sleep disturbances, and chronic fatigue syndrome. The Veteran's claims are remanded for further development regarding an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, hyperparathyroid disease, and squamous cell carcinoma on neck have all been denied.,Service connection has not been established for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's back disability is granted a higher rating of 40 percent, effective from the date of the claim. The other issues are either denied or remanded.

The appeal of the proposed combination of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and ischemic heart disease with myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, heart block, cardiomyopathy, and hypertensive heart disease under one Diagnostic Code at an evaluation of 30 percent disabling is dismissed.,The appeals for increased evaluations for ischemic heart disease with myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, heart block, cardiomyopathy, and hypertensive heart disease are dismissed. The appeal for earlier effective date for GERD is denied. The appeal for earlier effective date for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The appeals for a compensable rating for GERD prior to May 19, 2024, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for GERD as of May 19, 2024, are dismissed. The appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The appeals for a rating in excess of 30 percent for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, secondary to hypertension, ischemic heart disease, CFH, heart block, cardiomyopathy, are dismissed.,The appeal for an earlier effective date for gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD) is denied. The appeal for an earlier effective date for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of September 1, 2020 for the award of a 30 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss underwent a factually ascertainable increase on that date.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss have been found to preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. The TDIU is granted effective September 17, 2024.

The Veteran's service-connected right ear hearing loss is rated as noncompensable. The claims for left knee and right knee osteoarthritis are both denied.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need to obtain his employer's annual audiological examinations from July 2023 forward.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for left ear hearing loss. The decision on right ear hearing loss is remanded.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain condition is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or causal relationship to service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted due to the presence of a current diagnosis and exposure to military noise during service.,Right foot metatarsalgia is denied as there is no indication that it began during service or is related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,Left foot condition is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or causal relationship to service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD. The evidence did not show current disabilities for VA purposes in either case.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability is not rated higher than noncompensable.,Service connection for fatty liver disease has been granted, but the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are granted as service-connected, with the Board finding that both conditions are at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in decision-making, including incorrect medical opinions regarding the Veteran's hearing loss disabilities. The case will be reviewed and new evidence will be sought.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a kidney disability, thyroid disability, and bilateral hearing loss (secondary to PTSD) were denied. The claim for service connection for hypertension secondary to PTSD was granted. The claim for service connection for a back disability is being remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in obtaining VA and private treatment records, particularly from September 7, 2017, through August 31, 2020. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are hypertension, hypertensive heart disease, removal of both testicles, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is related to his active duty service. The decision is based on a thorough review of the evidence, including VA and private medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating, as his hearing acuity did not reach levels that would warrant such a rating based on VA examination results and audiometric testing.