Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for a compensable initial rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to February 22, 2022 was denied. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss from February 22, 2022 was also denied.

The Board has withdrawn the appeals for left ankle disability, right ankle disability, and shin pain. The appeal for service connection of sleep apnea is remanded due to inadequate opinions in the November 2018 VA examination.

The Veteran was granted service connection for tinnitus, but denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and kidney stones. The Veteran's chronic sinusitis is rated at 50% from October 1, 2021.,Service connection for tinnitus was established as it was related to hazardous noise exposure during active military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with a rating of 50% for sinusitis from January 23, 2018 to March 24, 2019 and beginning April 18, 2019. Other conditions such as sleep apnea, hearing loss, otitis media, gout, asthma, esophageal disorder, and bladder disorder have also been granted service connection with the exception of left ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was granted a 10 percent rating effective April 7, 2000. A subsequent increase to a 20 percent rating was granted effective February 16, 2021.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment since July 15, 2014. The Board has granted a TDIU effective from that date.

The Board has granted service connection for a jaw disability, but has remanded the issues of service connection for left knee condition and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case due to a procedural issue regarding when the Veteran's disagreement with the December 2014 rating decision was submitted. The matter is now remanded for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the issue of a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss from January 31, 2012, to June 14, 2018. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment effective February 14, 2007.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to service and granted service connection. However, the Board has also remanded the issue of entitlement to service connection for hoarseness due to insufficient rationale in the previous VA medical opinion.

The Board has determined that the VA's acquired opinion regarding left ear hearing loss is inadequate and requires further examination to determine if it is related to active service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and an opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, as well as to address any shift in hearing acuity from his entrance to separation examinations. The claim for service connection for bilateral vision loss remains denied.

The Board denied the reopening of claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied as the audiometric testing did not show any level of impairment that would warrant a compensable disability rating.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to inconsistent responses during the VA examinations, and further evaluation is needed.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus. The Veteran was found to have current right ear hearing loss and tinnitus that are linked to his military service.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's hearing loss disability is not rated appropriately and has ordered a new examination to reassess the severity of his condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is more likely a result of his service-connected type 2 diabetes mellitus, and thus grants service connection for this condition on a secondary basis.

The Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss is granted. The Board found that the Veteran's current PTSD had its onset in active service, and his current bilateral hearing loss likely resulted from exposure to hazardous noise during service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted. The claim for gastrointestinal disorder, to include IBS, is remanded.