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 evidence of a current disability related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to in-service noise exposure. A VA examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The claim of service connection for left ear hearing loss is granted, and the case is remanded for further development related to TDIU.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for tinnitus due to new and material evidence. However, it denied the claim as there is no current disability for VA purposes.

The Veteran's DDD with radiculopathy was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and the Board finds no causal relationship between his current condition and service.,There is insufficient evidence to establish a bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes within one year of separation from active duty.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD, right ear hearing loss, and tinnitus were granted effective January 15, 2014. The effective dates prior to this date are denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection of low back pain, bilateral hearing loss, and migraine headaches.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and evaluations of his disabilities due to insufficient evidence or need for further examination.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder NOS is currently rated at 50 percent, but does not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to lack of occupational and social impairment. The TDIU claim was denied as there is no evidence that his service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to new evidence indicating the Veteran may have had a chronic bilateral hearing loss disability during the appeal period, and whether this is related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and diabetes mellitus were denied. The Veteran's current rating for diabetes mellitus is 20 percent.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied prior to June 22, 2016 and granted thereafter. The issue of service connection for hypertension is referred back to the RO. The TDIU claim is also remanded due to its inextricability with other claims.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his left elbow disability due to insufficient examination reports. The Veteran will need a new VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his hearing loss, as well as the current severity of his left elbow disability.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to acoustic trauma in service.

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for service connection for chronic skin disorder, PTSD, hearing loss, tinnitus, nerve disability of the ear, heart disability, and abdominal disorder (cyclic vomiting syndrome) were granted. Service connection was established for vitiligo and denied for other conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims of service connection for sleep apnea, narcolepsy, amputation of left lower extremity, and right knee reconstruction surgery are not supported by the evidence. The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted from November 27, 2017, forward.

The Veteran withdrew his claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a foot condition, a back condition, loss of sense of taste, and loss of sense of smell.

The appeal of the denials of service connection for various conditions due to herbicide exposure is dismissed. Service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee, right shoulder, and left shoulder disabilities are related to his in-service parachute jumps. The tinnitus is linked to military noise exposure, and bilateral hearing loss is associated with service.