Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tuberculosis was denied as there is no diagnosis of the condition. The claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was also denied, and a remand was ordered to obtain additional evidence related to his dental disorder and psychiatric disability.,The Veteran's claims for higher ratings were not granted due to lack of current diagnoses or sufficient evidence supporting the requested increases.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has worsened since his last VA examination in October 2016. He is being asked to provide updated treatment records and schedule for an audiometry evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and service connection are being remanded due to procedural issues. The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss were granted service connection with an effective date of May 27, 2014. Service connection for hypothyroidism, hypertension, migraine headaches, erectile dysfunction, and sleep apnea is denied as the evidence does not support a link between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's tinnitus and left ear hearing loss are granted as service connected. The right ear hearing loss is denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The evidence supports a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and recurrent tinnitus as the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus and right ear hearing loss have been granted service connection. The back disability claim is remanded for further examination.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and tinnitus due to lack of evidence showing a current disability related to service. Service connection was also denied for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities as there is no evidence that these conditions are related to service or exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as the evidence does not support a finding that his current hearing loss began during service or is related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating higher than 10 percent for other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder is denied as the evidence shows that he has occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptoms which decrease work efficiency during periods of significant stress.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the lack of reliable examination results and the addition of new VA records.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was granted a 100 percent rating since September 29, 2017.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is denied as there is no current evidence of a hearing loss disability under VA criteria.,The Veteran's left hand disability is denied as the preponderance of evidence does not support an in-service injury or disease leading to the current condition.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional medical evaluations and consideration of his claims. His psychiatric disorder, characterized as adjustment disorder with depressed mood, does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 9440. For bilateral hearing loss, he currently receives a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, hearing loss, and tinnitus, prevent him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment. The Board has determined that the criteria for a TDIU rating have been met.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected.,Bilateral hearing loss disability is denied as not service-connected.,Right and left knee disabilities are remanded for further examination and opinion.,Acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD, panic disorder, and agoraphobia) is remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and the rating in excess of 30 percent for hearing loss. The TDIU claim on a schedular basis was also denied, but the issue is being remanded to consider extraschedular TDIU.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss as the evidence did not show that it was incurred or aggravated by active military service, and there was no aggravation beyond normal progression during service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability as the evidence did not show a nexus between current hearing loss and active service, despite noise exposure during service.

The Veteran's initial claim for an initial compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied as the audiometric testing did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.