Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claim for service connection of right ear hearing loss is remanded due to the need for further development.,The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for tinnitus remains pending and will be addressed in a separate decision.

The Board has remanded several claims for further development, including those related to the Veteran's right shoulder disorder, lumbar spine disorder and right hip disorder, right ear hearing loss, sciatica, cervical spine disability, residuals of a right foot injury, depressive disorder, and left arm disability. The issues are secondary to other service-connected conditions.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left knee Baker's cyst, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression and GAD) due to lack of current disability or evidence linking the conditions to service. The case is remanded for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was reopened and granted. His IBS is rated at 30 percent, but the issue of hemorrhoids remains unresolved.

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 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 of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, lumbar spine disability, and diabetes mellitus, Type II due to conflicting evidence regarding current diagnoses and lack of definitive medical nexus.

The Board has dismissed all the Veteran's claims as they are now moot due to his death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted and remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed because he did not file a timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) after withdrawing his original appeal in May 2011.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded several issues including service connection claims, higher evaluations for various disabilities, and a TDIU claim due to the addition of new evidence. The Veteran is also scheduled for VA examinations.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the issues of bilateral hearing loss, scar on the brain, and dental trauma. The Board dismissed these claims as a result.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeal for service connection for tinnitus and denied his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of evidence of current disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and sleep apnea due to inadequate opinions in the May 2017 VA examination. The issues are being remanded for additional development including obtaining STRs, verifying duty status, securing treatment records, and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that it is at least as likely as not causally related to his noise exposure during military service.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete VA treatment records. The Veteran's history of VA treatment is noted, but access to all relevant records from 2002 is required.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bladder cancer, prostate cancer, and hearing loss for accrued benefits purposes. Additionally, the cause of death claim is also being remanded due to insufficient evidence linking the Veteran's bladder cancer to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board vacated its decision denying TDIU from April 1, 2010, through September 11, 2014 due to the omission of considering the impact of the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus on his employability. The case is remanded for further development.