Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to have begun during service and continue to this day, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are at least as likely as not related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied as his hearing acuity does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's migraine headaches and sinusitis were granted service connection, while her right ear hearing loss claim was denied. The Veteran's right knee strain received a separate compensable rating for instability.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was dismissed because the appeal request was not filed within one year of the rating decision, and no good cause was shown to extend the filing deadline.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has not met the criteria for a higher than 0 percent rating, as his puretone thresholds and speech discrimination scores do not warrant such an increase.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current diagnosis of hearing loss.,The Veteran's claim for hemorrhoids is denied as the evidence does not establish a medical nexus between her current condition and military service.,The Veteran's claim for acne is denied as her pre-existing condition was not aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted as the evidence shows a nexus between his current hearing loss and military service, specifically noise exposure during training.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to reconsider the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Veteran's claim for tinnitus is granted, but his claim for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has denied service connection for left ear hearing loss and granted earlier effective dates of January 22, 2024, for the grants of service connection for right ear hearing loss, a left shoulder disability (left shoulder strain with joint instability), a low back disability (lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS)), left knee strain, left knee limitation of flexion, and left knee limitation of extension.

The Board has determined that the claims for service connection for hypertension, left carpal tunnel syndrome, right carpal tunnel syndrome, and a left foot condition must be remanded due to inadequate medical opinions. The claim for an effective date of February 25, 2024 for bipolar disorder is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current disability is attributable to his active military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions during his active duty. The case is remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, right knee disability, left knee disability, and right ankle disability due to deficiencies in the VA examination provided. The Veteran's current knee disabilities are presumed to have existed prior to service, but a new VA examination is needed to determine their etiology.

The Board denied service connection for sinusitis, rhinitis, IBS, and right ear hearing loss as there is no persuasive evidence of record showing the Veteran has these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the Board is dismissing all issues related to effective dates and service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were granted with effective dates of March 31, 2006. The Veteran was found to be in need of regular aid and attendance due to his stroke and other disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations to determine the current severity of his service-connected psoriasis and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a duty to assist error, requiring an addendum VA medical opinion.