Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate opinion regarding the etiology of his current disability. The case is returned to the AOJ for further action.

The Veteran's death was caused by or secondary to a service-connected disorder, and the Board has granted entitlement to a service-connected burial allowance. However, the appellant's claim for a plot/interment allowance is denied as she did not incur any costs associated with such an interment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service, including noise exposure. The evidence does not show a nexus between his in-service noise exposure and his current hearing loss.

The Board has determined that there are pre-decisional duty to assist errors in the October 2024 and April 2025 rating decisions, specifically regarding the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, pes planus, right knee disability, lower back strain (lumbosacral strain), and degenerative arthritis (osteoarthritis) in foot, right. The Board has therefore remanded these issues to correct these errors.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and obstructive sleep apnea, finding insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss and left knee strain have been granted service connection, with a 10% disability rating for bilateral hearing loss effective March 21, 2025.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied because there is no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and in-service noise exposure, despite the presence of a current disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and other conditions, rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment prior to July 21, 2025.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder is rated at 50 percent, but the Board found that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating.,The Veteran's OSA is currently rated at 50 percent and does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is denied as not meeting VA criteria for a disability.,The Veteran's left ACL tear, right ankle sprain, lower back strain, and right shoulder strain are all denied as not meeting VA criteria for a disability.

The Veteran's right ankle sprain is denied as there was no evidence of its onset during service and the VA examiner found no nexus between his current condition and service.,Service connection for spinal stenosis is denied as the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent, with forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 30 degrees but not less than 60 degrees.,Bilateral hearing loss does not warrant an initial compensable rating due to the speech recognition scores being at Level I (94%) in both ears.

The Board has found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, and denied these claims. The claim for service connection for a thyroid disability is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss, right wrist disability, and right-hand disability. Service connection for vertigo is remanded.,The Veteran's current disabilities are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, tinnitus, allergic rhinitis, basal cell carcinoma of the neck, diplopia (hypermetropia), type II diabetes mellitus, a heart condition, and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to failure to appear at scheduled VA examinations. The effective dates for these claims cannot be determined without further examination.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is granted, while his back and left ear hearing loss disabilities are denied. The Board found that the evidence does not establish a nexus between the current disabilities and active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied in a February 1994 rating decision. The effective date of the award is July 14, 2022.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of ambulance transportation costs incurred on August 25, 2025 was denied because the application was not received within 30 days after the travel. The Board found that the travel did not meet the criteria for beneficiary travel benefits due to lack of prior approval and timely filing.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current hearing disability and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of tinnitus, left ear hearing loss, OSA, and a psychiatric disability are denied. The claim for TDIU is also denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The decision found that there is no evidence to support a direct link between these conditions and his military service.