Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his incarceration, requiring VA to secure updated medical records and arrange for examinations to determine the nature and etiology of any disabilities claimed.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions including a right knee cap disability, left big toe fracture, bullet fragments in the buttocks, left eye disability, bilateral hearing loss disability, allergies, heart disability, partial removal of sphincter muscle, sterility, and PTSD as there is no evidence linking these conditions to active service.

The Veteran's right shoulder arthropathy is denied as there is no evidence of a chronic condition during service or related to an in-service injury.,Service connection for the low back condition, diagnosed as degenerative lumbosacral spine disease with congenital spinal stenosis, is also denied due to lack of a nexus between the current diagnosis and service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for lumbar spondylosis, bilateral hearing loss, high cholesterol, heart condition (to include as secondary to obstructive sleep apnea), migraines, and an acquired psychiatric condition have all been denied.,Service connection was not granted because the evidence did not support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied as the evidence did not show that his hearing impairment met or exceeded the criteria for a compensable rating under VA's hearing loss disability evaluation table.

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

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including bilateral foot callouses, ingrown toenails, hearing loss, glaucoma, fatigue, chest pain, and gastrointestinal symptoms. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for dermatitis is granted, and his increased rating claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Board found that the evidence was at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran has had continuous dermatitis symptoms since active military service. For the hearing loss claim, the VA audiologist determined that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for an exceptional pattern of hearing impairment and assigned a noncompensable rating based on the results from his April 2017 audiological evaluation.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for various conditions and a higher rating for PTSD with depression. The examination requests include an audiologist evaluation for hearing loss and ear conditions, a Gulf War examination for fatigue disorder and memory loss, and a VA psychiatric examination for PTSD.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's headaches and hemorrhoids. The hearing loss claim is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability is denied because he does not have current bilateral hearing loss to an extent recognized as a disability for VA purposes.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, with no worse than Level II hearing in the right ear and no worse than Level III hearing in the left ear. The Board denied an initial compensable rating for this condition.

The appeal for soft tissue sarcoma is dismissed. Lumbar disc herniation service connection is granted. Hypertension and liver condition secondary to diabetes mellitus, type II are remanded. Bilateral hearing loss rating is also remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment prior to November 23, 2011. The Board denied the claim for an effective date prior to this date.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a chronic disease manifestation within one year post-service. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran’s hearing loss was less likely related to military service.

The Board has dismissed all appeals as the Veteran's attorney withdrew his requests for service connection and increased ratings.

The claims of service connection for hearing loss, incontinence, and alopecia are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and records.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as there is no probative medical evidence of current disabilities or a link to service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence linking these conditions to service. The appeal is now remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service.