Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of a change in hearing during his active duty service and concluding that it is less likely than not related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral pes planus due to additional procedural development being required.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the effective date of his disability.

The Veteran's PTSD and bilateral hearing loss have been granted, with a TDIU effective November 6, 2017.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is service-connected on a direct basis due to noise exposure during military service, and thus grants the claim.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 40 percent prior to April 11, 2021 and at 60 percent thereafter. The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is being remanded for further evaluation to determine if it is related to service, specifically artillery noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the claim for further development due to conflicting opinions regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is aggravated by his service-connected tinnitus.

The case is being remanded due to errors overlooked in the previous remand. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to October 26, 2023, and in excess of 40 percent thereafter will be reconsidered with additional development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss was denied in March 2006. The Board has now remanded the case to obtain clarification on the adequacy of the July 2011 audiometric testing and to attempt to obtain medical records from his correctional facility regarding an audiogram requested in June 2020.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as it was incurred in service due to noise exposure during deployment.,The Veteran's low back condition is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to his active duty.

The appeal for the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hyperlipidemia, and restless leg syndrome; and an effective date earlier than December 12, 2017 for the award of service connection for lumbosacral strain is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's failure to attend a scheduled audiologic examination and because of changes in VA regulations related to toxic exposure risk activities (TERA). The Veteran is required to undergo an updated audiometric evaluation, obtain an opinion regarding his hearing loss etiology, and potentially receive a TERA opinion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss is etiologically related to his active-duty service, and thus grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

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

The Veteran's tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome (patella femoral), and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome have been denied. The effective dates for the awards of service connection for these conditions are also denied.,An additional VA examination is needed to assess the severity of the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, as well as his psychiatric condition.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to the withdrawal of the appeal by his representative.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a significant threshold shift beyond normal measurement variability during service. The Veteran's current conditions are not linked to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for left ear hearing loss prior to September 19, 2022, and in excess of 30 percent for bilateral hearing loss thereafter is denied. The claims for service connection for dizziness, headache disorder, and right ulna fracture (major) are remanded.

The Board has remanded the issue of entitlement to a TDIU prior to December 4, 2015 due to concerns about whether a claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss remained pending after an October 29, 2012 VA rating decision. The AOJ is instructed to consider this and determine if the matter remains pending.