Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for right ear hearing loss and remanded his claim for a higher rating for right ankle strain.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss prior to October 31, 2016 and a rating in excess of 10 percent on or after October 31, 2016 was denied. The Board found the evidence insufficient to grant these claims and remanded for further development.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 60 percent for the initial rating period from October 20, 2015 to March 1, 2016. For the initial rating period from March 1, 2016 forward, a higher initial disability rating of 80 percent is granted.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability is granted as new and material evidence has been submitted. However, the claim remains denied because there is no evidence that the current condition had its onset during active service or within one year of discharge.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was found to be at Level I in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable rating. The Board determined that the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss due to a lack of adequate medical opinion and further development is needed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bursitis and tendonitis, right shoulder was reopened due to new evidence. The claim is granted.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for low back problems and bilateral hearing loss disability were not reopened as the submitted evidence was cumulative.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back disorder and bilateral hearing loss are related to service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability. The appeal regarding the denial of service connection for hearing loss was dismissed due to no clear and unmistakable error in the 2003 rating decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for left ear hearing loss as new and material evidence was not received, despite the Veteran having reported noise exposure during service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is granted as service-connected. The issues of initial compensable evaluation for prostate cancer residuals and service connection for tingling in both hands and arms are remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for xeroderma was reopened due to new evidence. His bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities were denied as there is no credible evidence linking them to his military service.

The Board has expanded the scope of the Veteran’s claims to encompass any knee or heart diagnosis raised by the record. The case is remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current diagnoses and service.

The Veteran's right foot condition, including pes planus and hammer toes, is not service-connected as there was no aggravation of pre-existing conditions during service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied due to lack of evidence showing a current disability within the VA-defined criteria.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, but new evidence was presented to reopen the claim for PTSD. The rating for bilateral hearing loss remains at noncompensable.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus. Service connection is remanded for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has not decided the service connection claims for heart disorder, bilateral hearing loss, chronic bronchitis, left hip disorder, right hip disorder, and urinary incontinence. The Veteran's claim for reopening of his heart disorder is denied. Service connection for these conditions remains denied.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that his audiometric results do not warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened, but the underlying claim remains denied.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and stomach condition have also been reopened, with the underlying claims remaining denied.