Hearing loss Board decisions

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

The Veteran's hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable throughout the period on review, with no exceptional pattern of hearing impairment found. The Board denied the claim for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hypertensive cardiovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease of the bilateral lower extremities, right ear hearing loss, and refractive error have all been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.,There was no diagnosis of right ear hearing loss for VA purposes in the post-service records.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not rated higher than noncompensable, his right knee disability did not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to July 16, 2019 or 30 percent from September 1, 2020, and he failed to establish service connection for chronic bronchitis (COPD), fungal infection, left knee disorder, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, left elbow disorder, or diabetes.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, but has remanded the claim for an asbestos-related pulmonary disability due to a lack of relevant medical records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular criteria for a Total Disability Rating for Compensation prior to January 20, 2020. The effective date of his TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and his claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board has vacated its March 14, 2024 decision and dismissed the appeals for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and bilateral hearing loss due to procedural defects in how the appeal was filed.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of tinnitus, hearing loss, and myasthenia gravis due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and the Appellant did not meet the criteria for VA burial benefits as her father had no pending claims at the time of his death.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for lumbar strain and cervical strain status post cervical fusion, as well as his claims of service connection for left knee strain, ganglion cyst excision without residuals, and residuals, right bicep muscle injury have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and OSA have been granted on a limited basis due to the submission of new evidence.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request for increased ratings and TDIU, effective March 8, 2019. The appellant is eligible to receive attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in the March 2022 rating decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to ambiguity in the relevant regulation regarding the effective date of service connection for PTSD, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and TDIU. The effective date will be determined based on the earliest submission of an application for character of discharge upgrade.

The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates and increased ratings were dismissed as the issues did not involve service connection.,The Veteran's cervical spine disability was denied an increased rating, with a 30 percent rating being the highest possible under the applicable criteria.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD alone prevents him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, qualifying for TDIU. Additionally, the combined rating of his additional disabilities (Acne, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Absence, Acquired Left Testicle, and Tinnitus) meets the 60% threshold required for SMC at the housebound rate.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a bilateral eye disability, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to new evidence received after the initial decision. The AOJ is required to verify the Veteran's periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA) with the Army National Guard.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's tinnitus is considered to have been incurred in service and has been chronic since then, while her hearing loss does not meet the regulatory requirements for a ratable disability.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss has been granted a 10 percent evaluation since December 19, 2019. The Board found that the evidence supported this rating and resolved doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but remanded the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient medical opinion.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issues of service connection for chronic left knee disability and atrial fibrillation.