Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied, but his claim for tinnitus is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of private treatment records related to the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran is asked to provide these records or inform VA that they have been obtained.

The Board has granted service connection for recurrent tinnitus. The remaining issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right arm disability, left knee disability, skin disabilities of the hands and feet are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to outstanding medical records and new evidence added since the last VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and needs a new one for determining the cause of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for left knee disability, hepatitis C, bilateral hearing loss, and prostate condition as the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and military service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed.,New and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims of service connection for low back disability, left foot disability, migraines, and insomnia. The Veteran’s tinnitus is found to be related to her military service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his in-service noise exposure. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.

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

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, chronic cough condition, toenail condition, and teeth grinding due to lack of recent medical records and need for further examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, initial ratings for left and right lower radiculopathy, and TDIU were denied. The claim for service connection was reopened based on new evidence, but the rating for each condition remains at 10 percent.

The Veteran's initial noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his disability.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to in-service noise exposure. The decision is pending further examination and consideration of the Veteran's reports regarding the onset, progression, and types of noise exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is as likely as not related to his active duty service.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to new and material evidence. However, further development is needed as VA records are requested to verify the Veteran's periods of active duty, active duty for training, and inactive duty for training with Army Reserve and Army National Guard units. The Veteran will also undergo a VA audiology examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, but he does not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU. The case is being remanded for consideration of extraschedular TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development and examination regarding his back disability, as well as claims related to sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, unspecified depressive disorder, anxiety, tinnitus, and a higher rating for migraine headaches. A statement of the case must be issued for these issues.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted for the period from August 19, 2009 to April 4, 2013 due to his service-connected PTSD and bilateral hearing loss preventing him from securing or following any substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to in-service acoustic trauma. The rating for PTSD remains at 50 percent.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has worsened, and a more current VA examination is needed to determine the appropriate rating.