Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded several claims for further development due to the Veteran's incarceration and inability to obtain necessary medical records. The claims include service connection for various conditions such as shell fragment wound, hearing loss, tinnitus, sinus condition, psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), hypertension, gastrointestinal condition, skin problems, and sleeping disorder.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his exposure to acoustic trauma during service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 0 percent, and the appeal for a higher rating is remanded.,The Veteran's recurrent dermatitis has been rated at 0 percent under Diagnostic Code 7806. The appeal for a higher rating is remanded as there is no evidence of exposure to at least 5% of his entire body or exposed areas, and no intermittent systemic therapy required.,The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right lower extremity has been rated at 20 percent under Diagnostic Code 8520. The appeal for a higher rating (40%) is remanded as there is no evidence of severe, incomplete paralysis with muscular atrophy.

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

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are related to in-service acoustic trauma. The appeal is not about a change in evaluation of ischemic heart disease.

The Veteran's tinnitus and coronary artery disease have been granted service connection. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability is denied due to lack of in-service onset or continuity of symptomatology. The skin disorder claim remains pending as no VA examiner has provided an opinion on its etiology. Service connection for hypertension is also pending, with the issue being whether it is related to herbicide exposure. Low back and knee disorders are still under consideration.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to inextricably intertwined issues.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining STRs for his Army Reserves service and an addendum medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess its current severity.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy of multiple extremities, prevent him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the claim of entitlement to a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss before the Board could make a decision.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to fully and fairly consider the Veteran's claims, including Social Security Administration (SSA) records, private treatment records, employment records, and an examination of his service-connected disabilities. The case is being remanded for these purposes.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss should be remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of his condition.

The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and the criteria for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 were not met.,There is no evidence linking the cause of the Veteran's death (dementia) to his military service or any service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a bilateral knee disorder due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran will need to undergo VA examinations to determine if his conditions are related to military service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right and left ear hearing loss due to their inextricability. The issues will be addressed together after a statement of the case is issued.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to new information submitted by the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a back disability, and an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded due to the need for additional medical examination. The claim for TDIU is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the other issues.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the inconsistency of the VA audiological examination results and the need for new evidence.

The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes is related to hazardous noise exposure in service, granting service connection.