Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disability and bilateral hearing loss disability have been granted, but the cases are being remanded for additional development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of adequate efforts in scheduling VA examinations, particularly when he was incarcerated. The AOJ is instructed to attempt to schedule the Veteran for a VA examination at his prison or another suitable location.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. Service connection will be reconsidered based on new evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including adjustment disorder, bilateral inguinal hernia, and hearing loss, have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not service-connected as it did not manifest during active duty and there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure. The tinnitus, however, may be related to the Veteran's military service.,Service connection for tinnitus has been granted based on the Veteran's report of its onset during his time in Vietnam.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions had their onset during active duty service due to acoustic trauma from playing the tuba.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral pes planus and hearing loss. The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to new evidence indicating worsening of his hearing condition.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for tinnitus has been dismissed. The Board also indicated that additional development is needed for his claims of service connection for a right shoulder disorder and entitlement to a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's initial schedular rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is denied.,The Veteran's initial disability rating in excess of 70 percent for major depressive disorder with insomnia and adjustment disorder (depression) is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic muscle pain is granted, but his claim for bilateral hearing loss remains denied.

The Board has granted service connection for lower back degenerative disc disease, left ankle arthritis, right ankle arthritis, and left ear hearing loss. The evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions. The VA will provide new opinions on the etiology of these conditions.

The claims of entitlement to service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to unreliable test results from previous VA examinations. The Veteran's spouse reported that the Veteran had become almost totally deaf in his right ear after being denied benefits, indicating possible functional impact.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in service and is not related to his service-connected tinnitus. The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service noise exposure, but his current hearing loss is not service-connected due to lack of a significant threshold shift beyond normal variability while in service. Service connection for tinnitus was granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including cervical condition, bilateral knee condition, acquired psychiatric disorder, memory loss, headache, and erectile dysfunction. The appeals are related to undiagnosed illnesses or secondary to a service-connected disability (angioedema).

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted. The claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss has been reopened and granted. The rating for his right hip prior to September 26, 2005, is also granted at a 60 percent disability rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for heat intolerance, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and left ear hearing loss. The decision also noted that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.