Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and type II diabetes mellitus were not shown to be related to service, and the Board has denied these claims.,The Veteran's nasal disorder (residuals of sinus surgery) and hypertension have been remanded for further development as they may be related to service.

The Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection of a left ear hearing loss disability is granted. Service connection for the left ear hearing loss disability is also granted. The Veteran's claims for service connection of peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities are remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability and no in-service incurrence or continuity of symptomatology. The Board also found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for presumptive service connection under 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(a).

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his active duty service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of current disability. The claims for left hand strain, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral syndrome are remanded for further examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his active military service, and thus grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to in-service noise exposure. The claim was reopened due to new and material evidence.

The Veteran's appeal to reopen a claim of service connection for hearing loss is granted. Service connection for low back disability, allergic rhinitis, tinnitus, sleep apnea, hypertension, and ED are denied.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and consideration. Specifically, a VA medical opinion is needed regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD with anxiety, major depression, and panic disorder or prescribed medications contributed to his death.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The claims for prostate cancer and urinary disability are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding herbicide agent exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus due to a request from the Social Security Administration (SSA) for relevant records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II was denied as there was no in-service event or injury and the condition did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of separation from service.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus was denied due to the maximum schedular rating already assigned under Diagnostic Code 6260.,The Veteran's claim for effective dates prior to August 27, 2013 for grants of service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and major depressive disorder was denied as there is no legal basis for such a retroactive assignment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to service and grants entitlement to service connection.

The Board dismissed the appeals of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as they were not properly on appeal.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of current bilateral hearing loss that manifested in service or within one year thereafter, and the Board finds that his current hearing loss is not related to military noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss disability, earlier effective dates for service connection and SMC benefits are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the reliability of previous audiometric test results.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the issue of bilateral hearing loss due to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is not rated higher than the current level.,Tinnitus was awarded an effective date of November 9, 2002.

The Board has denied service connection for pneumonia and remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to lack of medical evidence.