Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's testimony regarding his in-service exposure to noise from the flight line, as well as a special phone hook-up after deployment to Vietnam, raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating his claim. However, due to missing medical records from his period of active duty from October 1958 to July 1973 and lack of individual dates of clinical treatment for any ailments during this time, the Board has ordered additional efforts to locate these records.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for right ear hearing loss is denied.,Service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and bilateral senile cataract (claimed as vision and eye disorder, residual from 2003 infection) are all denied.,Service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is denied. The Veteran's GERD is not shown to be related to service or a service-connected condition.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is denied. The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is not shown to be related to service or an undiagnosed illness.

The appeal was dismissed due to the appellant's death, and no service connection issues were decided.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is not related to his active duty and left ear hearing loss was noted at entry but did not worsen during service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and effective dates have been withdrawn, resulting in the dismissal of all related issues.

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

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and remanded the remaining issues due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 30 percent, and his peripheral vascular disease of the left and right lower extremities are each rated at 40 percent. The appeal for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied, but the ratings for peripheral vascular disease were granted.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted service connection for tinnitus. The right and left knee conditions are remanded for further examination.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of service treatment records from 1970, incomplete verification of periods of active duty, and the need for an audiological examination.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The remaining issues of service connection for cardiovascular disorders, kidney disorders, strokes/TIAs, and sleep apnea due to herbicide exposure are remanded.

The Board granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that it is related to noise exposure during military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional evidence and examinations.

The Board granted service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to in-service noise exposure and resolving reasonable doubt in his favor.

The Board has granted service connection for hearing loss in the left ear, hearing loss in the right ear, and tinnitus. The claims are based on direct evidence of a link between the conditions and active military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, left ear hearing loss, gastrointestinal (GI) disorder, fatigue, multi-joint and muscle pain, low back disorder, neurological disorders of the bilateral lower extremities, and bilateral knee disorder have all been denied.,The Board found that there was no evidence linking any of these conditions to service or qualifying Persian Gulf Service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to issues with his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and PTSD. The Board finds that the current ratings do not fully reflect the severity of these conditions.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board previously denied a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss. The Court has remanded the case back to the Board with instructions to consider the Veteran's report of vertigo and its impact on his hearing loss, which may warrant an extraschedular rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is denied as there is no objective medical evidence to support a diagnosis of bilateral SNHL.,For the period prior to January 11, 2018, the Veteran’s lumbar spine condition was not productive of forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 30 degrees but not greater than 60 degrees; the combined range of motion of the thoracolumbar spine not greater than 120 degrees; muscle spasm or guarding severe enough to result in an abnormal gait or abnormal spinal contour such as scoliosis, reversed lordosis, or abnormal kyphosis; ankylosis; or doctor-prescribed bed rest. Therefore, a rating in excess of 10 percent is denied.,From January 11, 2018, the Veteran’s lumbar spine condition was manifested by forward flexion of 30 degrees and did not require doctor-prescribed bed rest at any during this period. Thus, a rating in excess of 40 percent is denied.,For the period prior to September 17, 2015, the Veteran’s right lower extremity radiculopathy was manifested by mild, incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve of an entirely sensory nature. From September 17, 2015, it was manifested by moderate, incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve of an entirely sensory nature. Therefore, a rating of 20 percent is granted for right lower extremity radiculopathy from September 17, 2015.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU is granted.