Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of current evidence meeting VA criteria for hearing loss, and requests a new VA audiological examination.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issues of service connection for residuals of testicular cancer and breast cancer due to lack of evidence supporting a nexus between these conditions and active duty.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the issue of assigning a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, with a pure tone average of 37.5 in the right ear and 40 in the left ear, resulting in a combined rating of zero.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine spondylosis and bilateral hearing loss, as well as his claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 70 percent for PTSD with alcohol use disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The appeal has been dismissed as the appellant withdrew their appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted his claim for TDIU as of February 28, 2016.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been submitted to reopen the claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus. However, it has not found new and relevant evidence to support the claim of right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal of a noncompensable rating for his bilateral hearing loss disability has been remanded due to the need for additional VA audiogram records.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, psoriasis, and benign prostate hypertrophy were reopened. Service connection was granted for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied for right ear hearing loss and psoriasis. Benign prostate hypertrophy was not connected to service due to lack of evidence.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection and rating for right hip degenerative arthritis, hypertension, and bilateral hearing loss.

Service connection for somatization disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and seizure disorder is granted.,The Veteran's claims were reopened due to new and material evidence.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied because there is no evidence of a chronic hearing disability during service, and the Board finds that his current hearing loss is not related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeals for neck pain, allergic rhinitis, lung condition, and bradycardia were withdrawn at the July 2018 Board hearing.,Service connection was denied for degenerative joint disease (knees and hands), left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Board has denied service connection for left hip, left ankle, and right ankle disorders due to the lack of current diagnoses prior to the Veteran's filing of claims.,Service connection for right ear hearing loss was also denied as there is no evidence of a current disability meeting VA criteria.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board has determined that an increase beyond this rating is not warranted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected as they are related to his active military service, despite a lack of documentation in service records.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus secondary to service-connected mycosis fungoides due to insufficient examination regarding etiology.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and adjudication, including consideration of an extraschedular rating for hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss disability, and kidney disorder must be remanded due to insufficient medical opinions. The claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction as secondary to a service-connected disability is also remanded.