Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete development and lack of consideration of lay statements regarding continuity of symptomatology.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been consistently rated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period, with no significant changes in severity.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient rationale in the VA examiner's opinion regarding the Veteran's right ear hearing loss. The Veteran is seeking service connection for his current condition, which he claims began during military service and continues since separation.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand requests and scheduling issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability and bilateral hearing loss were not incurred or aggravated during service, but may be related to post-service noise exposure. The case is being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at a disability rating of 30 percent effective January 18, 2022. A compensable rating prior to that date and any rating in excess since then are not warranted.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating and an extraschedular rating for bilateral hearing loss has been denied. The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss did not meet criteria for exceptional patterns of hearing impairment, leading to a noncompensable disability rating.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to the need for updated treatment records and a VA examination. The earlier effective date claim for tinnitus service connection is not granted, and the increased evaluation and compensable hearing loss evaluations are also not granted.

The Veteran's claim for a rating of 10% for bilateral hearing loss is granted, effective November 8, 2021. Service connection for chronic sinus problems is denied.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a right hand disorder, a low back disorder, and a right leg injury due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied as his hearing level acuity does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and an increased rating for left ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of current disabilities for VA purposes.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are granted a 10% rating. Bilateral hearing loss is denied for the period from January 13, 2016 to May 9, 2022 and denied in excess of 10% for the period from May 9, 2022. Service connection is granted for left knee instability and right knee instability. The Veteran's heart disability is not service connected.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and an addendum opinion to address whether the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to military service, including as due to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in processing and consideration of the Veteran's overpayment claim. The validity of the debt must be resolved first, followed by a reconsideration of the waiver request.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to the absence of a current disability. The issue of service connection for dermatitis is remanded as there was an error in not obtaining a VA examination and opinion prior to the September 2020 rating decision.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of October 8, 2021 for the award of a 100% disability rating for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected bilateral retinitis pigmentosa with pseudophakia was denied.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as earlier effective dates for service connection, were denied.,An initial rating of 10 percent was assigned for both conditions, with the effective date set at April 7, 2021.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate VA examination and conflicting medical opinions.

The Veteran's PTSD claim is denied as there is no current diagnosis of PTSD or any other psychiatric disorder for VA compensation purposes.,The Veteran's lower back disability claim is denied as the evidence does not support a finding that his current condition began during active service or is related to an in-service injury or disease.,The Veteran's hearing loss claim is denied as there are no significant changes in hearing thresholds shown in the records and the Veteran did not report any complaints of tinnitus until after military service.,The Veteran's tinnitus claim is denied as there was no record of complaint or treatment for tinnitus during active service, and the Board finds that it is more likely related to post-military events.,The Veteran's right knee disability claim is denied as his current condition does not appear to be related to an in-service injury or disease. The remanded issues of bilateral shoulder conditions will impact this decision.,The Veteran's right shoulder condition and left shoulder condition claims are both remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of these disabilities.