Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, specifically whether it is related to service, including a motor vehicle accident and noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as she does not have a hearing loss disability for VA purposes.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claim for service connection for cataracts. The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, finding it was incurred during service due to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam and granting it under the PACT Act of 2022. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) secondary to diabetes mellitus is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current disability is consistent with his in-service noise exposure and resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been granted by the agency of original jurisdiction. The claims for other conditions have been remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and his in-service noise exposure. A new medical opinion is needed.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is at least an even balance of evidence to support a finding that his current hearing loss disability is related to in-service acoustic trauma.

Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. A rating higher than 70 percent for PTSD is denied.,The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from substantially gainful employment, but a TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected prostate cancer is found to be the proximate cause of his current unspecified anxiety disorder. His right ear hearing loss is considered a disability for purposes of service connection, but there is insufficient evidence to establish that it manifested within one year of service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for Parkinsonian tremors, throat disability (including strep throat), esophageal disability (including gastroesophageal reflux disease, esophageal erosions, residuals of Zenker's diverticulum, and esophageal dysmotility), right-ear hearing loss, and sleep apnea due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The Veteran was not provided with all relevant treatment records from the 1980s and his private medical providers' records are missing. Additionally, the VA examinations were inadequate in addressing the Veteran's claims.

The Board has dismissed the claims for dropped bone in left foot and bilateral hearing loss disability due to the appellant's death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted as the evidence shows that his hearing impairment during service, particularly due to exposure to acoustic trauma while serving in a light-weapon infantry role, meets the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and higher ratings for cervical spine and lumbosacral spine arthritis are remanded.

The appeal for service connection of a left hand disability is dismissed. The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have current hearing loss to a degree that qualifies as a ratable disability. The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for back, knee, and hip disabilities due to potential aggravation by pre-existing conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's tinnitus, finding that it began during his military service. Service connection was denied for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the inadequacy of the August 2020 VA examination, which did not provide speech discrimination scores and failed to explain why such scores could not be provided.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for residuals of high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer was denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was also denied.

The Board has determined that the AOJ made a pre-decision error by not providing an adequate medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and in-service noise exposure. The case is being remanded to obtain such an opinion.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The hearing loss and dental disability claims are remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as secondary to service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's current hearing loss is related to in-service noise exposure, and his tinnitus is considered a symptom of his service-connected hearing loss.