Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for a retroactive medical opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability from March 30, 1966 to October 22, 2007.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is related to his in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the left knee disability. The claim for service connection of all conditions is pending and will be addressed after a VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD, and an earlier effective date for TDIU. The decision found that there was no current disability for hearing loss as defined by VA regulations, and that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a 100% rating for PTSD or total occupational and social impairment.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right ear sensorineural hearing loss, finding that it is etiologically related to his active military service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran does not have a diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss as defined by VA standards. The Board also granted service connection for tinnitus, attributing it to military noise exposure.,Service connection was established based on the Veteran's credible and consistent reports of tinnitus beginning during his active duty service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 30 percent, which does not exceed the maximum rating of 40 percent. The claim for an increased rating exceeding 40 percent for bilateral hearing loss has been denied.,An additional examination is needed to assess the severity of the Veteran's left arm disability due to potential flare-ups and functional impairment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied because he does not have a current disability. The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted as his MOS exposure to noise during service caused his tinnitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's request to reopen his claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that new and material evidence did not relate the current hearing loss disability to his service.

The Veteran's claims for hypertension, high cholesterol, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been remanded due to the need for further development.,Claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are also pending.

The Veteran's appeal for restoration of a 50 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding the use of standards in a pre-induction hearing loss examination, and for further consideration.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating of 30 percent for his right shoulder disability is granted. The Board also remanded the issue of service connection for right ear hearing loss due to inadequate examination in September 2013.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, vision defect, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, polyps (presumed due to herbicide exposure), and gastritis. Additional development is needed to determine if these conditions are related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities or other factors.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure, and thus service connection is granted.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for low back disability, left knee disability, hearing loss, and sleep problems due to lack of a medical nexus between these conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in the previous opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The examiner is requested to provide a more detailed opinion on whether the current hearing loss is related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The case is remanded to obtain an opinion on the etiology of sleep apnea, which may be secondary to hypertension.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure. However, service connection for hemorrhoids was denied due to a lack of current disability.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss is denied, but he received higher initial ratings of 20 percent for his right and left lower extremity radiculopathy.