Hearing loss decisions — 2026

The Board has decided that the Veteran's heart condition and bilateral hearing loss are not service-connected. The claim for service connection of the heart condition is denied, while the claim for service connection of the bilateral hearing loss is remanded to allow for further development.

The Board dismissed all appeals related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for various conditions and a deferred issue of vertigo.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable since February 17, 2025. The Board found the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Board has denied service connection for right and left ear hearing loss, sinusitis, TMJ, rosacea and herpetic whitlow, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to lack of current disability. The issues of rating higher than 10 percent for TMJ and rosacea and herpetic whitlow have been remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to have started during his military service and the Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left ankle disability, right ankle disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability due to a deficiency in the record prior to the decision on appeal. The Veteran's depression claim is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for hearing loss, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, bronchitis, headaches, left knee disorder, and right ankle disorder due to insufficient evidence or further clarification is needed.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for allergic rhinitis and migraine headaches, but denied all other claims due to lack of evidence meeting VA standards for a current disability.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right lower extremity (sciatic nerve) is granted a rating of 20 percent, but no higher. Service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome and headaches are denied.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the remaining issues due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss, as well as his claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss, were granted effective March 3, 2021. The Board found that the Veteran's April 1, 2021, claim was considered complete as of that date, allowing for a March 3, 2021, effective date.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus type II and bilateral diabetic polyneuropathy, result in significant limitations that necessitate regular aid and attendance. The Board has granted SMC based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The right ear hearing loss claim is remanded for further consideration.

The appeal of the claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed.,Service connection for hypertension and OSA are granted, with secondary service connection for insomnia disorder as secondary to OSA also being granted.,Service connection for rhinitis, sinusitis, cholecystectomy (gallbladder condition), nephrolithiasis (kidney stones), and a respiratory disability (including asthma and dyspnea) is granted.

The Veteran's tinnitus is rated at the maximum allowable under VA guidelines, and no higher rating can be granted.,Right ear hearing loss has been found to be service-connected due to exposure to noise during military service. The Veteran now receives a non-compensable rating for this condition.,Right knee arthritis has been linked to an in-service injury, but the Board is unable to determine if it was caused by environmental chemical exposure or another factor.,Left radical nephrectomy, status post renal cancer, has been found to be service-connected due to exposure to environmental chemicals during military service.

The appeal concerning entitlement to service connection for a left thigh condition, claimed as a left hip condition is dismissed.,The appeals concerning entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea and hemorrhoids are dismissed.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for hearing loss before the Board could make a decision.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a back disability, but has denied all other claims due to lack of evidence linking the conditions to service.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is currently rated noncompensable, and the claim for a compensable rating is denied.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted based on credible evidence of its onset during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability or causal relationship to service.