Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is granted. The claim for sinus condition is denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, rash on the lower back, acquired psychiatric disorder (including major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and alcohol and cocaine use disorder), headaches, left knee disability, right knee disability, and low back disability are all granted as service-connected. The evidence supports these findings based on noise exposure in service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for TDIU, major depressive disorder with insomnia and memory loss, obstructive sleep apnea, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (high frequency bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and tinnitus) have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board finds that the evidence supports his claim for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's appeal for service connection for PTSD, depression, hearing loss, and headaches due to a lack of timely filing of an appeal request.

The Veteran's liver disability has not resulted in any compensable symptoms, as he had a previous history of liver disease but is currently asymptomatic.,The Veteran's left ear hearing loss has been rated at noncompensable level due to the absence of more than Level I hearing acuity.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are causally related to his in-service hazardous noise exposure. The Board considered the Veteran's credible testimony regarding the onset of these conditions during service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from engaging in gainful employment as of January 1, 2019. The Board granted a TDIU effective from that date.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was dismissed due to the Veteran's death while the appeal was pending.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, Reiter's syndrome, and lumbar spine disability have been denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a hearing loss disability for VA purposes and that his service-connected disabilities do not warrant an earlier effective date.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, and bilateral hearing loss were denied. The effective date of the grants of service connection was July 13, 2022.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that his current disability is related to in-service noise exposure and resolving all reasonable doubt in his favor.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to November 1, 2021, for the grant of total disability due to individual unemployability (TDIU) is denied. The Board found that there was no pending claim for TDIU or increased rating at the time of his application on November 2, 2021.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation since June 2, 2017. The Board has decided that he is entitled to a TDIU effective from that date.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for metastatic bladder carcinoma and a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss. The evidence did not support a finding of a nexus between the Veteran's current conditions and his military service.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, back disability, right hip disability, and left hip disability due to lack of evidence showing a current disability or in-service incurrence.,There is no persuasive evidence that the Veteran has any of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate medical opinions regarding their etiology. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's adenocarcinoma of the prostate is rated at 60 percent effective February 5, 2021. An effective date of August 5, 2020 for a 20 percent rating for diabetes mellitus type II has been granted. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and verruca vulgaris of the right hand are not rated as compensable.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss is being remanded due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors related to his Reserve component service.