Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is due to in-service noise exposure and continues thereafter, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes, throat cancer, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, seborrheic dermatitis, and bilateral hearing loss have been granted as they are presumed to be related to his service-connected conditions under the PACT Act.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeal for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss should be remanded due to a procedural error in docketing the appeal under the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA). The issues will need to be readjudicated, and the Veteran must file a timely VA Form 9 or opt into the AMA framework.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as the evidence did not support a nexus between his military service and his current disability.,For the appeal period from September 12, 2011 to July 10, 2012, the Veteran was found to be substantially gainfully employed full time, thus precluding him from receiving TDIU during this period.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to outstanding medical records from the Guam Regional Medical Center.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted. The claim for a respiratory disorder is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's representative requests an updated VA examination with audiological testing to reflect the current severity of his bilateral hearing loss disability. The Board finds this request is warranted and has decided to remand the case for further action.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss due to lack of evidence showing current disability.

The Board has denied service connection for left perforated ear drum, remanded the issues of service connection for ear infections and bilateral hearing loss, and found that conjunctivitis is not related to service. The case is being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss disability is denied due to non-attendance at an examination. The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for peripheral vestibular disorder (claimed as dizziness) secondary to service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's PFB is not rated higher than the initial noncompensable rating.,PTSD has been granted, with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is denied, but service connection for tinnitus due to in-service noise exposure is granted. The Board grants secondary service connection for RIGHT shoulder impingement syndrome, rotator cuff tendonitis, and subacromial / subdeltoid bursitis with greater tuberosity malunion as a result of his service-connected bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU rating was implicitly denied in the March 2012 rating decision, as the RO considered his employment difficulties and awarded a 70% disability rating for PTSD. The effective date of this decision is not specified.

The Board has decided that service connection for tinnitus is granted, but the decision on bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to a lack of adequate medical opinion.

The Board has restored a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss, effective October 1, 2021. The reduction from 30 to 20 percent was not supported by evidence showing actual improvement in the condition under ordinary conditions of life.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lung cancer in remission, prostate cancer (remission), tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, myocardial infarction, erectile dysfunction, and hypertension, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board granted the TDIU on a schedular basis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as he does not have a current disability, and his evidence did not meet the threshold requirements of VA compensation purposes.