Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss has been denied as new and material evidence was not received. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is currently rated at 0% (noncompensable).

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the addition of new evidence. The AOJ is instructed to review this evidence, issue a supplemental statement of the case if necessary, and contact the Veteran to determine his preference regarding a Board hearing.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is not related to service and did not manifest within one year of separation from service.,The Veteran's cervical spine or neck disability is not related to service and did not manifest within one year of separation from service.

The Veteran's request to reopen his service connection claim for tinnitus is dismissed. His claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is reopened and granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, vertigo (claimed as secondary to tinnitus), and a rating in excess for 10 percent for tinnitus. The decision found that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the claim for bilateral hearing loss, and that there was no legal basis for service connection for vertigo or tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability is related to service and grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and depression, bilateral tinnitus, excessive weight gain and obesity, diabetes mellitus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral pes planus, left index finger condition (not diagnosed), neck pain, lower back pain, COPD, dizziness, and chronic UTI and incontinence have been granted. The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss are denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The case is being remanded for further evaluation, including an updated VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and erectile dysfunction due to in-service noise exposure. The Board also requested a new opinion regarding whether his respiratory failure, pulmonary congestion, congestive heart failure, pulmonary fibrosis, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and chronic kidney condition were related to his service or other factors.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities. The conditions are presumed to be related to exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, hypertension, bladder cancer (due to herbicide exposure), and chloracne (due to herbicide exposure). The Veteran's right ear hearing loss was not linked to in-service noise exposure. Hypertension did not manifest during service or within a presumptive period. Bladder cancer is presumed due to herbicide exposure but the Board found no evidence of continuity of symptomatology. Chloracne was not diagnosed and there was no evidence linking it to herbicide exposure.,The Veteran's bladder cancer, which has been successfully treated, was not linked to service connection as a presumptive condition or due to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary as to the remaining claims for service connection for hearing loss and headaches, which are remanded. The Veteran's scar of the scalp and substance abuse disorder have been denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and ischemic heart disease, as it is unclear whether he was exposed to herbicide agents during service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a compensable degree of disability within the applicable presumptive period.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are related to his military service. The issue of service connection for a sleep disorder is remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to reconsider his previously denied claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that new and material evidence was received within one year of the April 2013 denial. The Board also found that there is a reasonable possibility that the current hearing loss disability is related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD alone is found to be of such nature and severity as to prevent him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU rating.,Due to the combined effect of his service-connected disabilities (PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus), he meets the statutory housebound criteria for SMC benefits.

The Veteran's service connection claim for right ear hearing loss is granted. The Board finds the evidence in equipoise as to whether the Veteran’s right ear hearing loss is related to his service, and thus grants service connection. For PTSD, the case is remanded due to changes in symptoms warranting a new examination.