Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent prior to December 2, 2022 and denied a higher rating.,For the period beginning December 2, 2022, the Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 40 percent and denied a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was dismissed. The claim for increased ratings for left and right hip disabilities is remanded. The claims for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and seizure disorder are also remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection has been reopened, but the issues of entitlement to service connection for various disabilities have been remanded due to insufficient medical opinions addressing potential in-service causation.

The Board has granted service connection for hearing loss and hypertension, but the psychiatric disorder claim is remanded as it involves a complex medical issue.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus are remanded for further development. The AOJ must verify the Veteran's periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA). A VA examination is needed to determine if these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service, including ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and hearing loss have been denied as there is no current disability meeting the VA criteria for a hearing loss or GERD, and the evidence does not support a direct link to service.

The Board has found that additional development is needed to clarify the type of speech recognition test used in a private audiogram from October 2017. The Veteran's hearing loss claim will be remanded for this purpose.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for various disabilities, including right and left knee disabilities, cardiovascular disability, left Achilles tendon disability, left foot bone spur, and bilateral hearing loss. The issues include determining whether these conditions are related to active service or other relevant factors.

The Veteran's TDIU claim prior to May 14, 2016 is denied as there was no factually ascertainable date within one year prior to the May 14, 2016, claim that indicated his service-connected disabilities prevented him from maintaining substantially gainful employment. The DIC benefits claim under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is also denied because the Veteran did not meet the criteria for continuous total disability rating of at least five years prior to death.

The Veteran's appeals for hearing loss and tinnitus have been dismissed. The claim of new and material evidence for sleep apnea has been granted, and service connection is established as secondary to sinusitis and allergic rhinitis.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient medical opinion and incomplete factual record.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and right ear hearing loss disability, finding that the evidence did not support a link to service or secondary to PTSD.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was rated at 10 percent effective October 27, 2022. The Board denied an increased rating for the period prior to that date.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,Service connection for tinnitus was granted based on the Veteran's exposure to noise during service and his reported symptoms.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and bilateral knee disorders, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The appellant withdrew her appeals regarding the claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's application to reopen the previously denied claim for service connection for breast cancer of the left breast (also claimed as invasive ductal carcinoma) has been granted. The application to reopen the previously denied claim for hypertension has been dismissed.,The applications to reopen the previously denied claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have also been dismissed.

The Veteran's total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) claim is granted due to the combined disability rating of his service-connected conditions meeting the schedular requirements.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed because the Veteran withdrew his appeal through his attorney representative.