Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected due to in-service noise exposure. The right hip disability is remanded for further examination.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss. The remaining issues on appeal are remanded due to the need for additional development and medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to a scheduling issue for a VA audiological examination, and will readjudicate the appeal.

The Board has denied service connection for tinnitus and remanded the hearing loss claim due to insufficient evidence regarding noise exposure during service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for obesity, bilateral hearing loss, obstructive sleep apnea, intertrigo, and migraine headaches due to new evidence received since the final July 1971 rating decision. The RO is instructed to obtain medical opinions on the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated as noncompensable, with a speech recognition score of 76% in the right ear and 78% in the left ear. The Board found that this did not warrant a compensable rating.,Left hip degenerative arthritis with residuals of left femur fracture was rated at 10 percent. The Veteran's range of motion allowed for abduction to at least 30 degrees, adduction to at least 20 degrees, external rotation to at least 40 degrees, internal rotation to 25 degrees, and crossing his legs. The Board found that this did not warrant a higher rating.,Left hip limitation of flexion was rated as noncompensable. The Veteran's range of motion allowed for greater than 45 degrees of flexion. The Board found that this did not warrant a compensable rating.,Hemorrhoids were rated as noncompensable, with mild or moderate severity and no large or thrombotic features.

The Board has dismissed all issues of service connection and rating for various conditions, including PTSD, peripheral neuropathy, lung disability, diabetes mellitus, and bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to the decision being finalized.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone are not of sufficient severity to produce unemployability, and the Board denied his claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for dyspnea was denied as it is not related to his service-connected PTSD.,The Veteran withdrew his appeal for left ankle strain and shoulder strain.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for tinnitus and service connection for bilateral hearing loss have been denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for his tinnitus, as it is already at its maximum schedular rating. For his bilateral hearing loss claim, the Board determined there was no evidence to support a finding of service connection due to lack of current diagnosis and valid audiometric test results.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were withdrawn, and the Board dismissed the claims as moot due to the withdrawal. The Veteran was granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is denied. The maximum schedular rating for recurrent tinnitus (tinnitus) is 10 percent, and there is no evidence to support a higher rating.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and plantar fasciitis. Service connection was granted for tinnitus due to the Veteran's competent lay statements regarding his in-service noise exposure and current symptoms. However, service connection was not granted for bilateral hearing loss or plantar fasciitis as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his service-connected hearing loss was denied. Prior to February 17, 2022, the Veteran had only left ear hearing loss rated as noncompensable. After February 17, 2022, he was granted bilateral hearing loss with a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral high frequency hearing loss has been rated at 10 percent since October 31, 2021. The Board found that the disability is no worse than Level V in both ears and thus does not warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment, thus his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have prevented him from obtaining and retaining gainful employment, meeting the criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss was denied. The Board also remanded the issue of service connection for right ear hearing loss due to inadequate opinion in the March 2022 VA examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to service, and the Board has granted his claim for service connection.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected, but has remanded the issue of his bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of evidence.