Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is at least as likely as not related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for both left ear and right ear hearing loss.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability and remanded the issues of service connection for left ear hearing loss, an initial compensable rating for right ear hearing loss, and an increased rating for PTSD.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further examination and review due to insufficient evidence, including missing VA treatment records and audiograms. The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is being evaluated again, while his left ear hearing loss case will be reviewed with new information.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, and the Board denied an increased rating. The Veteran also appealed for a TDIU but was denied as his disabilities do not render him incapable of employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence to support a finding of in-service noise exposure causing his current hearing condition.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, hearing loss (claimed as left ear condition), PTSD, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, bilateral eye disability (diabetic retinopathy and loss of vision), and sleep disorder with fatigue. The issue of service connection for tinnitus was also denied.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and a compensable disability rating for left ear hearing loss, finding no evidence of current hearing loss disabilities that meet VA criteria.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was granted, with a disability rating of 50 percent. Other claims were either denied or remanded.

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

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there was no evidence of a current disability, in-service incurrence or aggravation, or nexus to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for shrapnel wounds to the face with scars is granted, and he is now rated at 20 percent effective May 6, 2011.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current hearing disability and military service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were denied as a matter of law due to his failure to report for scheduled examinations. The claims are being remanded for further action.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of left ear hearing loss was denied. The appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for postlaminectomy syndrome is granted, effective from the date of service connection. Appeals for ratings for radiculopathy of the lower extremities and knee strains are all denied.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings due to insufficient evidence from previous VA examinations. The Veteran will need new evaluations and treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the inadequacy of an August 2015 VA examination, which concluded that the status of his hearing during service was unknown and he could not provide an opinion on any hearing loss present.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding it related to acoustic trauma during service. However, the Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, concluding that there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a nexus between current hearing loss and service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and PTSD are rated at 10 percent each, resulting in a combined rating of 20 percent. The Board denied an increased rating for his hearing loss and found that he is not unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to new evidence received since the last final denial. The case is remanded for a VA examination to determine if these conditions are related to service.