Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating during any portion of the appeal period.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, TBI, and noncardiac chest disability manifested by pain due to lack of evidence showing current disabilities related to these conditions. The Veteran's failure to attend scheduled VA examinations without good cause resulted in denial of the claims.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for migraines including migraine variants with atypical migraines has been denied. The disability is currently rated as 50 percent, but the Veteran seeks an increase.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional development and examination. The issues include bilateral hearing loss, alcohol use disorder, erectile dysfunction, gout, sleep disorders, low back disability, neck disability, peripheral neuropathy in various extremities, restless leg syndrome, left knee disability, psychiatric disability, shoulder disabilities, pes planus with neuroma and plantar fasciitis, left foot disability post-surgery, and right knee meniscal tear.

The Board has remanded several claims related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbar spine disability, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, hypertension, left hip disability, left knee disability, and bilateral hearing loss. The AOJ is instructed to consider all additional evidence since the last decision in April 2019 and issue a supplemental statement of the case if necessary.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of chronic symptoms during service and insufficient evidence to link current hearing loss to military noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate reasoning and lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's hearing loss and its relation to service. The claim will be reviewed again with new medical opinions.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to the need for additional records from Social Security Administration (SSA). The appellant is the surviving spouse of the Veteran who served in active military from October 1962 to December 1964.

The Veteran's claims for residuals of radiation exposure, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were denied. The Board found no evidence of ionizing radiation exposure during service and thus could not grant service connection based on that basis. For the tinnitus claim, the Veteran reported in-service noise exposure which was sufficient to establish a link with his current condition.

The Veteran's right hearing loss is granted service connection. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, and diabetic peripheral neuropathies are not rated higher than the current assigned ratings. The Veteran's diabetic retinopathy and CAD are granted increased ratings.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability and remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to June 26, 2020 and a 30 percent rating thereafter.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss due to a lack of valid audiometric testing demonstrating hearing loss during any portion of the appeal period. The VA opinions considered were deemed most probative, and no objective or competent opinion evidence supported the presence or etiology of right ear hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and initial rating for PUD with IBS due to concerns about missing medical records from the Veteran's active duty period. The Veteran is also required to undergo a VA examination to assess his current disability status.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left knee degenerative arthritis, but the issue of service connection for hearing loss is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a new VA examination to address the Veteran's right shoulder disability and right ear hearing loss. The appeal is pending as the Veteran seeks service connection for his right eye disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The claims are being returned for additional development, including obtaining clarification from private audiologists regarding the type of word lists used in evaluations.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, but the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded. Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is also remanded.