Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was previously denied in May 2015. New evidence submitted since then is considered duplicative or cumulative of previous records and does not provide a new link between the condition and his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for dental trauma, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to incomplete consideration of VA treatment records and an inadequate examination. The AOJ is instructed to obtain all relevant VA treatment records, refer the dental claim to VBA, schedule a VA audiological examination, and readjudicate the claims.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure. The claims were reopened due to new evidence presented.

The Veteran's application to reopen his previously denied service-connection claim for a left ear hearing loss disability is granted. The appeal for entitlement to service connection for left ear hearing loss is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss was manifested by no more than Level I hearing acuity in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable disability rating. The Board found that the evidence did not warrant a compensable initial rating.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's sensorineural hearing loss of the left ear is granted as service-connected.,Right and left hip conditions, including osteoarthritis, are remanded for further examination.

A higher 20% rating for Erectile Dysfunction is granted, but service connection for Hearing Loss and increased ratings for Persistent Depressive Disorder are denied.,Persistent depressive disorder remains at a 30% rating prior to June 4, 2018, and at a 70% rating since that date.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to cold weather injuries of the bilateral lower extremities, including circulation problems and numbness of the feet. The effective dates for the grants of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus remain at April 4, 2012.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as the evidence is at least in equipoise, with the Board finding that his statements about noise exposure during service support a nexus to his current conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that the Veteran's continuous in-service noise exposure is causally related to his current condition.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the current 60 percent disability rating is appropriate based on the audiometric results, and an extra-schedular rating was also denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and actinic keratosis due to ionizing radiation exposure. The Veteran will need a new VA examination for his hearing loss, and additional development is required to determine if he was exposed to ionizing radiation during service.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his bilateral hearing loss disability was denied. He received a 30 percent rating from July 22, 2015, through March 5, 2019, and the Board found no basis to grant an increased rating prior to that date or after March 6, 2019.

The Veteran's appeal to reopen a claim of service connection for right ear hearing loss is granted. Service connection for tinnitus is also granted. The claims for service connection for right and left ear hearing loss are remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not service-connected as they first appeared decades after military service.,Bilateral pes planus was found to have existed prior to military service and did not worsen during service.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for a compensable disability rating for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and service connection for PTSD due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal prior to the decision being promulgated.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to issues regarding initial compensable ratings for bilateral hearing loss prior to November 17, 2017 and a rating in excess of 50 percent thereafter. The case will be returned to the RO for additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and the possibility of obtaining additional VA treatment records. The case involves bilateral hearing loss, with issues related to compensation evaluation.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for left and right torn rotator cuff disabilities have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing her appeal. Her bilateral hearing loss claim has been denied as she did not meet the criteria for a current disability under VA regulations. The Veteran's cervical spine, lumbar spine, and headache conditions are all granted based on continuity of symptomatology since service.,The Veteran experienced injuries during service that resulted in ongoing cervical and lumbar spine issues, which have been linked to her military service through continuous symptoms. Her hearing loss is not considered a current disability for VA compensation purposes.