Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder condition, lower back condition, bilateral ankle condition, and bilateral plantar fasciitis. The evidence did not meet the minimum requirements to trigger VA's duty to assist in these cases.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of right ear hearing loss has been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran during the appeal process.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable since October 22, 2021. The Board found that the evidence did not show exceptional hearing loss or other factors warranting a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current hearing loss of either ear, according to VA standards. Therefore, service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right ear hearing loss. The claim will be reconsidered with a new examination.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss disability. The issues of service connection for left shoulder condition and right shoulder condition are being remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete facts in the March 2021 VA examination. The Veteran is requested to provide an addendum medical opinion that addresses his lay statements regarding noise exposure, his Combat Action Badge, and his use of hearing protection.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete reasoning in a previous VA examination, and further medical opinion is needed.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to service connection issues. A new VA examination is needed to determine if there is a relationship between the conditions and service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable. The Board found that the evidence did not show a compensable level of disability for his hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for a right thumb disability was denied as there is no evidence of current disability.,Service connection for OSA was granted based on the opinion linking it to service, despite an initial denial in 2019.,Left ear hearing loss was not found due to lack of current disability meeting VA criteria.,Right ear hearing loss was granted as noise exposure is conceded and there are STRs documenting threshold shifts.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae and right ear hearing loss, finding that the conditions did not meet the criteria for any compensable ratings.

The Veteran's TDIU was not based on a single service-connected disability alone, and he does not have a single 100% rated service-connected disability with additional disabilities independently ratable at 60%. Therefore, SMC for housebound status is denied.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and denied his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of current disability.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to missing treatment records.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds no basis to grant a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete medical opinions that did not consider the apparent threshold shift documented in the Veteran's service medical records.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to errors in the decision-making process and the need to obtain relevant medical records.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service connected. The issue of secondary service connection for erectile dysfunction to include as secondary to type II diabetes mellitus is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's hearing loss began during service and is linked to in-service hazardous noise exposure. The decision also acknowledges that VA conceded the Veteran was exposed to noise during service as a pilot.