Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disorder and bilateral hearing loss due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records from his separation in 1976 and employment physicals.

The Board has denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issues of service connection for foot, neck, back disabilities, and a TDIU. The Veteran's claim for PTSD is also remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are at least as likely as not related to his military service. The appeal regarding a bilateral knee condition is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and earlier effective dates has been dismissed. The Board has remanded several issues including service connection claims due to incomplete records.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss and an effective date prior to August 18, 2009, for the award of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was denied. The Board found that there is no legal authority for the assignment of an effective date prior to August 18, 2009, for the awards of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus under the circumstances presented.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus on a presumptive basis due to exposure to acoustic trauma during active duty.

The Veteran's initial rating for bilateral tinnitus is denied as the maximum schedular rating has already been assigned. The claims for increased ratings of lumbar spine disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy are remanded due to new evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and diabetes mellitus. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and his active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection and increased evaluations of his various disabilities has been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeals.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and low back disability have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations. The Board will consider whether these conditions are related to service based on new evidence provided by the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of sufficient severity to prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, thus meeting the criteria for a Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU) rating.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which are currently considered service-connected.

The claim for service connection for skin rash was denied in 2009, but reopened due to new evidence. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion on the issues of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, heart disability, and skin disability.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for his left ear hearing loss disability is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and an updated examination.

The appeals to reopen claims of service connection for high cholesterol, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, heart disorder and diabetes mellitus are denied.,Evidence received since the March 2012 rating decisions does not relate any of these conditions to service.

The Board has granted service connection for headaches as secondary to a service-connected anxiety disorder, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease (CAD), and diabetes mellitus type II (DMII).

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Veteran's hearing loss, sinus disability, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, and venous disabilities of the legs are not service-connected as they do not have a direct link to his military service.,Hemorrhoids were also not found to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for left knee strain with degenerative joint disease, right knee strain with degenerative joint disease, and bilateral hearing loss are being remanded due to the need for a Decision Review Officer (DRO) hearing.