Hearing loss decisions — 2026

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss disability, right ear hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and lumbar spine disability due to a lack of persuasive evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and bilateral hearing loss, do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection was not timely filed, and the request is dismissed.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, with levels I in both ears. The Board denied the claim for an initial compensable evaluation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions regarding his hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertension. The claims will be reconsidered after additional development.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran has a current disability of tinnitus due to in-service noise exposure and resolves reasonable doubt in his favor. For bilateral hearing loss, the Board finds that there was no pre-existing right ear hearing loss noted at entry into service, and thus the presumption of soundness does not apply. A remand is required for further examination and opinion regarding left ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for left leg blood clots and right leg blood clots were denied due to lack of in-service injury or event that may have caused the condition.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for dementia was denied because there is no evidence linking his dementia to service.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as secondary to tinnitus due to a duty to assist error in notifying the Veteran of his right to a pre-decisional hearing. The AOJ must correct this error and provide proper notice before readjudicating the claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate VA examination opinions. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions, which are conceded to be related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for migraines and tinnitus, as well as service connection for bilateral hearing loss, were dismissed due to untimely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) filings. The appeal for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to an inherent contradiction in the evidence, requiring a new examination with a new opinion.

The Board has remanded the claims for UTIs with kidney stones and BPH, lung cancer, basal cell carcinoma, and dermatophytosis with eczema.,These conditions are being reviewed to determine if they are related to service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that his current hearing loss disability is related to military noise exposure and granting him a grant of service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating for dermatophilosis or bilateral hearing loss, and remanded the issues of service connection for PTSD, COPD, knee condition, OSA, cardiovascular disease, and neurobehavioral effects.

The Veteran's left knee disability, including instability, is rated at 20 percent and no higher.,A separate 10 percent rating for patellar instability is granted.,Compensable ratings are assigned for the ventral hernia, bilateral hearing loss, recurrent episcleritis with surface ocular inflammation, scarring due to genital warts and treatment of genital warts, residual scars s/p ventral hernia laparoscopic surgery, and left wrist sprain with degenerative arthritis and residual pain from old wrist fracture.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, hypertension, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) require additional development due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for cervical disc pain with degenerative disease and arthritis (neck disorder), right upper extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity radiculopathy, right hand and thumb joint pain and arthritis, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, and bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran is required to be provided notice of their right to a pre-decisional hearing.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not begin during his active duty service and are not otherwise etiologically related to his active duty service. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. His bilateral hearing loss was rated as noncompensable throughout the period on appeal, while his other conditions (hypogonadism, diabetes mellitus, traumatic brain injury, radiculopathies) did not meet the criteria for service connection.