Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no nexus between these conditions and his in-service noise exposure.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss did not begin during his military service and is not related to any in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as it is related to his service, with the exception of a ruptured right ear drum which has not been diagnosed.,Coronary artery disease and erectile dysfunction are denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's bilateral ear hearing loss disability is granted as it is attributable to noise exposure during his military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at 10% and the claim for a higher rating is denied. The hearing loss claim is remanded due to lack of recent audiometric evaluations.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertension.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and opinion regarding service connection for various conditions, including tinnitus, left ankle disability, bilateral hearing loss, sinus disability, and gastrointestinal disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for schizophrenia, but denied service connection for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss. The decision is based on the evidence of record showing a current diagnosis of schizophrenia within one year of discharge from service.

The Veteran's right knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and sleep disorder are not service-connected.,The Board found no evidence of current disabilities related to the Veteran's military service for these conditions.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus have been denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current disability related to service, as his hearing loss was not shown during service or within one year of separation, and there is no evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 10 percent from May 3, 2017. The Board found that the evidence did not warrant a higher rating prior to this date.

The Veteran's service-connected vertigo is granted, with the Board finding that his current diagnosis of chronic vertigo is related to exposure to contaminants in the water at Camp Lejeune during service.,Service connection for a respiratory disability (to include asthma and COPD), heart disability, hypertension, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome are remanded due to lack of medical evidence addressing these claims.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the right knee condition, right leg injury, sleep apnea, hearing loss, and PTSD rating. The appeal is dismissed.

The Board has granted the petitions to reopen previously denied claims for service connection for heart arrhythmia, headaches, hearing loss disability, and ulcer disease. The claims of service connection for these conditions are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals of service connection for lumbar spine disability and bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran was granted service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss and hepatitis C are remanded due to the need for additional examinations to assess current severity.

The Veteran's left knee disability is not rated higher than 10 percent due to lack of x-ray evidence of involvement in two or more major joints with occasional incapacitating exacerbations. The case has been remanded for further evaluation and consideration of TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has granted the reopening of the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, but has remanded it to obtain a VA examination and determine if the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his in-service acoustic trauma.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has worsened since his last VA examination, and he testified that the use of hearing aids has made it harder for him to hear. The Board finds a new examination is needed to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Board has found that the November 2014 VA audiological examination is not adequate for adjudication purposes and remanded the case to obtain a new opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability.