Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's increased rating claim for bilateral hearing loss from May 30, 2013 to September 1, 2015 was denied. The Veteran's TDIU claim during the same period was granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new one must be conducted.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is causally or etiologically related to in-service noise exposure. As such, service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new opinion is required to determine if the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss had its onset in service.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied, and the service connection claim for a dental disability is remanded due to procedural issues.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is sufficient evidence to support a causal relationship between his in-service noise exposure and his current condition.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is granted on a presumptive basis under the 2022 PACT Act. His bilateral hearing loss claim is denied as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or related disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus should be remanded due to a lack of a VA audiological examination addressing the etiology of these conditions, as well as consideration of whether they are related to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's challenges to the creation of an overpayment and his claim for a waiver of its recoupment were denied as untimely. The Board found that the Veteran did not timely challenge the creation of the overpayment within one year from the issuance of the final action notice, and he also failed to file his waiver claim within 180 days after receiving the demand letter.

The Board has determined that new evidence supports the readjudication of claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's current diagnoses of tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are related to his military service, with competent and credible lay and medical evidence supporting this conclusion.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran asserts that his current diagnosis is related to in-service noise exposure, and VA acknowledges this exposure. However, there are discrepancies in the examination results and a need for clarification on whether the Veteran experienced threshold shifts during service.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on housebound status prior to October 26, 2016 was denied as he did not meet the criteria of having a single service-connected disability rated at 100 percent and additional disabilities independently ratable at 60 percent or greater.

The Veteran's COPD is granted as related to in-service exposure to asbestos and construction particulates.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, anxiety, other specified trauma-related disorder, or depression, is denied due to lack of a valid diagnosis under DSM-5 criteria.,Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied as not having manifested within one year of separation from service or being otherwise related to service exposure.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is denied.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate prior to May 28, 2019 was denied as he did not meet the criteria of being permanently and substantially confined to his immediate premises due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between his current disabilities and his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that a compensable rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's back disability is rated at 40 percent effective December 13, 2011. A rating in excess of 40 percent for the period prior to December 11, 2019, was dismissed. The Veteran's right lower extremity neuropathy has been granted a 20 percent rating since September 24, 2020. Service connection for bilateral pes planus is denied as it did not occur within one year of service. Chronic sinusitis and right ear hearing loss are presumed to be related to military service. The Veteran's left hip, right hip, left knee, right knee, and left ankle disabilities were all denied. Bronchitis was granted effective August 10, 2022 (PACT Act). TDIU is granted effective November 20, 2012.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 50 percent since November 23, 2020. A TDIU rating was granted from January 11, 2011 to November 1, 2020.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations. The claim for TDIU is also being remanded as it involves an attempt to obtain an appropriate rating for a disability.