Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of a current disability during or prior to the period on appeal.,For the earlier effective date claim, the Veteran was granted a 30 percent rating for residuals of adenocarcinoma but the Board found that the earliest possible effective date is February 11, 2019.

The Veteran's claims for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, right knee degenerative osteoarthritis, left knee degenerative osteoarthritis, right shoulder strain, and left shoulder strain are denied as there is no evidence of a claim prior to July 18, 2022.,The Veteran's claim for migraines has been reopened due to new and relevant evidence. The claims will be readjudicated.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of April 11, 2023. The Board granted a TDIU based on the combined rating of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable, with a numeric designation of Level I in both ears. The Board found the evidence insufficient to warrant a compensable rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, as he has hobbies that suggest he is capable of performing tasks in a storage unit business.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate examination and missing post-service medical records.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted. The Board found that the evidence supported a finding of in-service noise exposure and current disability, leading to a determination that these conditions are at least as likely as not related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for asthma, gout, right and left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus due to inadequate medical opinions in the VA examinations. The Veteran will need additional evaluations to determine if his conditions are related to his military service.

Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.,Service connection for right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is granted due to presumed exposure to Agent Orange during service in Vietnam.,Service connection for left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is granted due to presumed exposure to Agent Orange during service in Vietnam.

The Board has denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and remanded the issues of left ear hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of an adequate rationale in the VA examination opinion.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of an adequate VA audiological examination, and further evaluation is needed to determine if the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his service.

The Board has restored a 40 percent rating for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss effective September 24, 2019, finding that there was actual improvement in the Veteran's ability to function under ordinary conditions of life and work.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's disabilities arose from his active military service.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus was denied. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss resulted in no worse than Level III hearing acuity, while his tinnitus was already at the maximum schedular disability rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is granted. The Board also remanded the claims for increased disability ratings for cervical strain and degenerative arthritis, left shoulder traumatic rotator cuff lesion residuals, right knee arthritis, left knee degenerative arthritis, chronic bronchitis, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the June 2023 rating decision on appeal did not provide an adequate rationale regarding whether the Veteran's hearing loss had its onset in service or is otherwise related to a service-connected condition. The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded to obtain a proper medical opinion.

The Board has determined that new evidence supports reopening the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, but remands the case to determine if there is a nexus between the Veteran's military service and his current hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, and tinnitus due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The AOJ will consider any additional evidence when readjudicating the claims.

The Veteran's cause of death is being remanded due to a duty to assist error regarding his service-connected heart condition and other disabilities. The Board will seek a medical opinion on whether these conditions contributed to the Veteran's respiratory failure.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the assignment of a 10 percent disability rating for bilateral serous otitis media and hearing loss, with chronic suppurative otitis media and vertigo was denied as his original claim to reopen service connection was received on June 1, 2015.