Hearing loss decisions — 2026

The Veteran withdrew his claims for right knee meniscal tear with osteoarthritis, bilateral hearing loss, left shoulder rotator cuff tear, neck condition, osteoarthritis left shoulder, osteoarthritis right shoulder, hypertension, low back condition, irritable bowel syndrome, and migraines.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and a neck disability must be remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The VA examiner is requested to provide an opinion regarding whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's diagnosed neck disability is related to his active service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinea pedis have been denied. The knee issues are remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD have been denied.,Service connection was not granted for bilateral hearing loss due to the lack of a showing of a hearing loss disability in either ear as defined by VA regulations.

The Board has granted service connection for a urinary tract disability, including acute bacterial pyelonephritis and urinary tract infection. However, the Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability meeting VA criteria.

The Veteran's rating for bilateral hearing loss was reduced from 30 percent to 20 percent effective October 1, 2020. The reduction was not properly implemented due to procedural errors and the prior rating is restored.

The Board denied service connection for chronic sinusitis, residuals of a left ankle sprain, and an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's current diagnoses do not meet the criteria for these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to engage and retain substantially gainful employment as of May 1, 2019. The Board granted TDIU effective from that date.

The Board has dismissed all issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims for heart palpitations, right ear hearing loss disability, sinusitis, and increased ratings for various conditions. The Veteran was granted a compensable rating (10%) for left carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to potential exposure to toxic substances during military service, specifically through burn pit exposures. The case will be reviewed by a VA clinician who will provide an opinion on whether there is at least a 50% likelihood that these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased disability ratings due to a duty to assist error.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, and acquired psychiatric disorder to include major depressive disorder have been granted. However, the effective date remains pending as it is related to a separate claim for an earlier effective date for tinnitus.

The Board has found that new and relevant evidence was submitted to reopen the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including left knee, right knee, bilateral foot, bilateral hearing loss, left elbow, right elbow, and sleep apnea. The claims are now remanded for further adjudication.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and chronic fatigue syndrome, finding that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses of these conditions for VA compensation purposes.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is approximately balanced as to whether these conditions are related to military service.

The Board dismissed the appeals for an initial compensable rating for IBS and service connection for bilateral hearing loss as they were concurrent with pending HLR requests.

The appeals of the denials of service connection for allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, hearing loss, and vision loss have been withdrawn. The appeals of the denials of service connection for left shoulder disability, right hand disability, and right upper extremity CTS (claimed as radiculopathy) are remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new evidence supports a determination of etiology related to military service.