Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss but denied service connection for tinnitus. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is related to in-service acoustic noise exposure, while her tinnitus does not appear to be related to active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for anxiety and depression was dismissed because the grant of service connection for anxiety disorder with panic attacks in a February 2024 rating decision represented a full grant of benefits. The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine condition, right knee disability, right toe condition, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus as there is no evidence of a current disability or link to military service.,Service treatment records did not show any complaints or diagnoses related to these conditions. Post-service medical records also lacked relevant findings.

The Board has restored a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss, effective December 28, 2020. The reduction from 20 percent to noncompensable was not supported by evidence showing actual improvement in the ability to function under ordinary conditions of life and work.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection, and his left ear hearing loss is denied a compensable rating.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disorder and bilateral hearing loss, finding no current disability or evidence of in-service injury that could be linked to these conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and sarcoidosis due to new evidence received since the July 2019 rating decision. The Veteran's tinnitus claim is granted.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied due to the untimely filing of his higher-level review request.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his active military service, including noise exposure. As a result, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his active military service, including noise exposure. As a result, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to an increased disability evaluation for bilateral hearing loss. The claims of service connection for TBI and erectile dysfunction, as secondary to PTSD, are remanded due to a lack of VA examinations.

The Board has determined that there are errors in the pre-decisional duty to assist and remands are necessary for service connection claims related to brain cancer, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction secondary to prostate cancer, gynecomastia, and bilateral hearing loss due to potential exposure to ionizing radiation during service.

The Veteran's dysthymic disorder is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as non-compensable (0 percent), and the Board has found that a compensable rating is not warranted.

The Board has decided that the VA did not have all necessary records to make a decision on the increased rating for bilateral hearing loss. Therefore, they need to obtain the audiogram from March 11, 2019, and any related medical records before making a new decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for the grant of total disability due to individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to November 10, 2015. The evidence did not show that she was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment solely due to her service-connected disabilities before this date.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied because he does not meet the criteria for a VA disability under 38 C.F.R. § 3.385.

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for TDIU and DEA benefits due to service-connected disabilities. The Board has remanded the claims as there is insufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility that the Veteran is unemployable by reason of his service-connected disabilities, but the failure to refer the issue of entitlement to a TDIU prior to June 20, 2017 to the Director was an error in satisfying a regulatory duty.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee strain, pseudofolliculitis barbae, bilateral hearing loss, bilateral elbow strain, and sleep apnea. The evidence is approximately evenly balanced as to whether these disabilities began during active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the eligibility criteria for PCAFC benefits as they are rated at less than 70% combined.