Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is rated as noncompensable (0 percent), with the highest level of impairment being Level II in both ears.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board has remanded for further action on his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 20 percent for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed due to the legacy appeal system.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus remains pending, as it was not addressed by the November 2023 and May 2024 decisions. The maximum schedular rating has been reached.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including major depressive disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and obstructive sleep apnea, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. As such, the Board has granted TDIU effective from April 5, 2019.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that her service-connected conditions did not prevent her from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The appeal for service connection for bladder cancer is dismissed. Service connection for a heart disability, to include ischemic heart disease and hypertensive heart disease, is denied. Entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus is remanded.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for the claims of right shin splint, left shin splint, mood disorder, sciatic radiculopathy (right lower extremity), lumbosacral strain, irritable bowel syndrome with gastroesophageal reflux disease and esophagitis, allergic rhinitis, sciatic radiculopathy (left lower extremity), and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's left ear high frequency sensorineural hearing loss was rated as Level III, which corresponds to a noncompensable rating. The Board denied the claim for a compensable rating.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinion and a duty-to-assist error. The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being returned to the AOJ for further action.

The Veteran's appeal for reducing ratings for bilateral hearing loss and migraine headaches, as well as claims for increased ratings for PTSD and colon cancer, has been dismissed due to the appellant withdrawing the appeal.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient examination findings, particularly regarding the use of medication in assessing the severity of the disabilities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that it is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident during service and did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of discharge from active duty.

The Board has dismissed the claims of service connection for GERD, right ear hearing loss, and a respiratory disability due to lack of evidence meeting VA criteria.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are granted service connection. The right ear hearing loss claim is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate opinions regarding their etiology. A new VA examination is required to address whether these conditions are related to service, including noise exposure.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction and right ear hearing loss as there is no persuasive evidence of a current disability or in-service incurrence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, back disorder, left ankle disorder, right ankle disorder, left elbow disorder, right elbow disorder, and left knee disorder were denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or a relationship to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error, requiring an adequate VA medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and in-service acoustic trauma.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and left knee scar disabilities, have resulted in his inability to obtain or maintain a substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted the TDIU claim based on the combined effects of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss has been dismissed because the Veteran requested to withdraw the appeal.