Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has remanded several claims for further development due to the submission of new VA treatment records and medical examination results.

The Veteran's representative withdrew the appeal of the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The claims for Meniere's syndrome and right ear hearing loss are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability. The AOJ must obtain a new VA addendum opinion from the same VA audiologist who performed the October 2017 VA audiology examination and opinion, addressing whether there is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's current bilateral ear hearing loss disability is causally or etiologically related to noise exposure during his period of active duty in the Army.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings on his service-connected peripheral neuropathy, bilateral hearing loss, knee disabilities, and varicose veins is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, right ear hearing loss, and asthma due to inadequate medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's claims are being returned for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The matter is now being sent back for further evaluation.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connection. The Board finds that the Veteran has credible statements of continuity of symptoms since service.,The Veteran's bilateral eye disorder and bilateral hearing loss are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has dismissed the appeal of service connection for left ear hearing loss as the Veteran withdrew his appeal in September 2023.

The Board has remanded the case due to failure to comply with previous remand directives regarding scheduling a VA examination for the Veteran's left ear hearing loss. The Veteran must be afforded another opportunity for an examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connected. The issues of service connection for PTSD, erectile dysfunction (secondary to a service-connected disability), and an acquired psychiatric disability remain pending and will be remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a diagnosis of hearing loss within one year after separation from active duty. The Board also found that the Veteran did not provide competent medical evidence to support his claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar spine disability was reopened, but his claims for left shoulder and right shoulder disabilities were not. Service connection is granted for a deviated nasal septum due to presumed exposure during active duty. Service connection is also granted for rhinitis due to presumed exposure during active duty.

The Veteran's appeal for higher staged ratings for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The claim of service connection for a chronic skin condition is remanded due to the need for further development regarding exposure history and medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, an initial compensable rating for right ear hearing loss, and a higher rating for tinnitus have all been denied by the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, and the Board dismissed the case as a result.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and back disability due to the lack of evidence showing a current disability in accordance with VA standards.,For the right hand strain issues, the Veteran's symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for higher ratings under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is approximately evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are related to in-service acoustic trauma. As a result, the Veteran's claims have been granted.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated noncompensable from May 13, 2021 and continuing thereafter. The severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss at worst was level I for both ears.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, but the issue of left ear hearing loss is remanded due to a duty to assist error.