Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issue of bilateral hearing loss is remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has granted an effective date of February 27, 1986 for the grant of service connection for tinnitus and hearing loss. The decision is based on a prior informal claim filed by the Veteran in February 1986.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to June 12, 2014 was denied.,An initial 20 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss effective from June 12, 2014 to October 13, 2019 was granted.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating than 20 percent for his bilateral hearing loss after June 12, 2014 was denied.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities was also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his active duty service and grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period, with a maximum rating of Level II in both ears. The Board denied an initial compensable disability rating for this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to outstanding VA medical evidence, specifically audiometric test results from 2014 to 2015. The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for hearing loss is being returned to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for further development.

Your appeal for a higher rating for your bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed because you withdrew the appeal before a decision was made.

The Veteran's hearing loss is related to service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to October 26, 2016, and in excess of 10 percent thereafter is being remanded due to the need for further VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation higher than 40 percent for his bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 40 percent.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including gastrointestinal symptoms, bilateral hearing loss, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, alopecia, headaches, and sciatica. The cases are being remanded for additional examinations and opinions.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show actual external or internal deformity of the penis.,Service connection for tinnitus was granted based on continuity of symptoms since service, but the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was denied due to lack of in-service onset and no established link to noise exposure.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims of service connection for tinnitus and hearing loss as they have already been granted in a previous decision.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence to support a causal relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus is granted. The petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension is also granted.

The Veteran's back disability was reduced from a 40 percent rating to a 10 percent rating, which the Board found improper and restored the original 40 percent rating.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his in-service noise exposure. The decision is based on the continuity of symptoms since service.

The Veteran's appeals for higher evaluations and earlier effective dates have been dismissed due to withdrawal. The Board has also determined that the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, degenerative disc disease (L4/5 and L5/S1) with lumbar spondylosis and spondylolisthesis, left lower extremity radiculopathy affecting the sciatic nerve, right lower extremity radiculopathy affecting the sciatic nerve are REMANDED for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate nexus opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, which may be related to service exposure. A new VA examination is needed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (including PTSD, asthma, DJD of the lumbar spine, tinnitus, radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities, bilateral hearing loss, and migraines) render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board granted a TDIU based on this finding.