Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for alcohol abuse, bilateral knee condition, low back pain, and bilateral hearing loss have all been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or a relationship to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his active military service, including noise exposure. As a result, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and diabetes mellitus type II, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has remanded the case for clarification of his employment history during the appeal period and for an opinion on the functional impairment caused by these conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, coronary artery disease (CAD), cataracts, colon cancer, left foot pain, and PTSD due to potential service connection issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is due to noise exposure during his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate opinions in the VA examinations. Specifically, a new examination is needed for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the current disability is not related to active service.,Service connection for a low back disorder was remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding whether it is secondary to the service-connected pes planus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his left ear hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not support an increased rating from January 21, 2022 or any compensable rating prior to that date.

The Board has reopened the claim for eligibility for VA benefits due to new and material evidence. However, the character of discharge from service for the period from March 1, 1970 to May 20, 1976 is still under review as it may constitute a bar to VA benefits.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and the need to obtain additional evidence from SSA, private providers, and worker's compensation. The claims will be reviewed again with this new information.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and left ear hearing loss, finding that the evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate examination for bilateral hearing loss, specifically addressing whether it is at least as likely as not related to service. The Veteran and his representative raised a theory that he experienced hearing loss at frequencies not tested during in-service audiograms.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU have been dismissed as the appeal was withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss prior to September 14, 2020, was dismissed. The Board also remanded the remaining issues related to his spine and knee disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a higher combined disability rating, finding that the calculation of his combined rating was correct and that he did not meet the criteria for a higher combined rating.

The Board finds that further action is needed to determine if an effective date prior to September 22, 2016 for the award of TDIU on an extraschedular basis should be granted. The Veteran's contentions and dates of contention are not clear.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is at least a 50% probability that these conditions began during or were caused by his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and denied an initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss. The Veteran's current right ear hearing loss disability is related to in-service acoustic trauma, while his left ear hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but has remanded the claim for service connection of bilateral tinea pedis.