Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to the need for further examination and opinion regarding their etiology.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including addressing the issue of service connection for hypertension and referring the TDIU claim to the Director of Compensation Service for consideration under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b).

The Board denied service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, finding no relationship between the condition and active duty service. The Veteran's current hearing loss was attributed to post-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are granted. The Board found that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding these conditions, thus resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is granted as service connected due to noise exposure during active duty.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of adequate medical opinion regarding their etiology. The Veteran's MOS as a jet engine mechanic suggests noise exposure during service, but his current conditions are not definitively linked to this exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issue of service connection for loss of vision.

The Board has remanded both claims due to insufficient information regarding exposure to herbicide agents and a need for further examination for hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and consideration of missing records. The VA will determine if his conditions are related to his military service, including exposure in Southwest Asia.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and analysis due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's TBI residuals, including recent MRI findings. The issues of a compensable rating for TBI and TDIU are inextricably intertwined.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and has remanded the issue of service connection for left hip condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate examination reports and conflicting opinions. The issues include tinnitus, left knee disability, right knee disability, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, left lower extremity sciatica, right lower extremity sciatica, acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety and depression), and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is as likely as not a link between his in-service noise exposure and his current hearing loss disability. The decision resolves all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss disability and in-service noise exposure. The Veteran's service treatment records did not show any abnormalities with his hearing during service or at discharge, and he reported experiencing hearing loss only after 2011.

The Board has decided to remand the cases due to the need for additional examinations to determine the current level of hearing capacity in both ears.

The Veteran's service connection for left ear sensorineural hearing loss is granted, and the issue of a higher initial rating for right ear sensorineural hearing loss is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's testimony regarding his in-service exposure to noise and subsequent ringing in his ears is credible. The claim to reopen the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding his hearing loss and sleep apnea disabilities.