Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board dismissed the issue of service connection for hypothyroidism as it was granted in a previous decision. The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be at least as likely as not incurred during service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for TDIU and service connection for PTSD were dismissed due to the AOJ's decision being deferred. The appeal of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and vertigo is remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether his current hearing loss is related to his in-service noise exposure. The appeal is granted.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for tinnitus service connection and a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the Veteran is entitled to an effective date of December 9, 2015, for his tinnitus claim and a 50% disability rating from February 12, 2019, for his bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and pruritis ani and associated diarrhea (IBS) have been granted. The Board found that the Veteran has current symptoms of these conditions and established a link to his military service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for undiagnosed Gulf War Illness manifested by a muscle condition, joint condition due to Gulf War (claimed as joints and muscle condition due to gulf war), skin cancer, bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and acquired psychiatric disorder to include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been dismissed.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of sleep apnea and bilateral hearing loss for further development. The Veteran's service connection claims are being reviewed due to inadequate opinions provided by VA examiners.

The Board has found that further development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and right shoulder disabilities due to additional evidence submitted since the last statement of the case. The claims are being remanded for a new VA examination and medical opinion.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's diagnosed bilateral hearing loss is etiologically related to his active service. The decision does not address any rating or effective date.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease, PTSD, tinnitus, and hearing loss, have prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation since August 7, 2010.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for headache disability, right ankle sprain and residuals of fibula fracture, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and major depressive disorder have been granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were reopened due to the submission of new evidence. The claim for tinnitus was granted, but the claim for bilateral hearing loss is still pending as it has been remanded.,The Board found that the Veteran had current diagnoses of tinnitus and credible reports of in-service acoustic trauma. However, the August 2013 examiner's opinion regarding the etiology of his bilateral hearing loss was deemed inadequate.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, headaches, and tinnitus due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to active service.,The claim for an initial rating greater than 10 percent for traumatic brain injury (TBI) was also denied as a matter of law because the Veteran failed to report for VA examinations scheduled in October 2021 and May 2022.

The Board denied service connection for AML and the cause of death due to service-connected conditions. The evidence did not support a finding that any service-connected condition caused or contributed substantially to the Veteran's death.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's preexisting bilateral hearing loss was aggravated by his active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for lung, prostate, and diabetes mellitus disabilities are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding herbicide exposure.,Specifically, the AOJ is directed to obtain a July 23, 2008 letter from the Department of Army regarding herbicide usage in Korea between 1962 and 1970.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as the audiometric testing did not support such a rating.,A 20 percent rating for right ankle disability from March 12, 2012 to October 26, 2020 was granted based on marked limitation of motion. The claim for a compensable rating after October 27, 2020 was denied as the evidence did not show any 'marked' limitation of motion.,A compensable rating for right ankle disability from October 27, 2020 was denied due to lack of 'marked' limitation of motion.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examination in determining if the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is causally related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. Bilateral hearing loss, sleep deprivation, skin rash, and depression are all remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding their relationship to the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus.