Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for chronic low back condition, left knee status post meniscectomy, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and active service.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities was denied because the schedular criteria were not met, and there is no evidence of an extraschedular TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for malaria was denied, and the Board found that he is entitled to a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's tinnitus is rated at the maximum allowable level of 10 percent. The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to potential issues with the VA medical opinion provided.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability.,Service connection for schizoaffective disorder is granted, with the onset during active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that his preexisting left ear hearing loss did not worsen during service and that there was no right ear hearing loss within one year after service. The Board also found that the Veteran's statements regarding the etiology of his hearing loss were not competent.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to his in-service noise exposure, and service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back condition, right hip condition, and bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's depressive disorder was rated at 30%.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including bilateral hearing loss, cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, left and right thigh disabilities, left and right knee disabilities, tinnitus, and GERD. The remaining issues are pending further examination and evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased initial rating for a bilateral hearing loss disability has been withdrawn, resulting in the dismissal of this case.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 50 percent, the highest available rating under VA guidelines. The Board found that his current hearing acuity does not warrant a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for PTSD, otitis externa and perforated tympanic membrane, hearing loss, and tinnitus need to be remanded due to inadequate examination reports and lack of consideration of all relevant evidence.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left ear hearing loss due to inadequate opinions regarding whether his pre-existing conditions were aggravated by service, and because of a lack of contemporaneous medical records.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection and ratings for various conditions, including alopecia areata, bilateral hearing loss, a scar on the left third finger, eczema of the feet, and herpes simplex II virus. The appeal is not about service connection at all.

The Board denied service connection for a right ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current condition is not related to his military service.

The Veteran's TBI was granted, and the effective date is September 26, 2007.,Tinnitus has a maximum rating of 10 percent, which is already assigned. No higher ratings are available.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations related to his hearing loss, sleep apnea, heart disease, prostate cancer, stroke, and psychiatric disorders. The effective date of service connection remains unresolved.

The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, but denied service connection for headaches. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is presumed to have been incurred in service due to noise exposure from his military duties as a fire support specialist. For headaches, the Board found no current diagnosis and thus denied service connection.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to perceived deficiencies in a previous VA opinion.

The Board has granted an effective date of June 30, 2010 for the grant of service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's earlier claim was reopened based on new evidence submitted in 2010.