Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status due to his blindness caused by macular degeneration.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that there is at least equipoise evidence in favor of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's application to reopen his claim for a gastrointestinal disorder was denied. Service connection for diabetes mellitus and bilateral hearing loss were granted, but service connection for tinnitus was denied.

The Veteran's hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable prior to June 9, 2017 and at 20 percent from that date. The claim for increased rating remains denied.,The Veteran's right shoulder disability has not been service connected. The claim for reopening the previously denied service connection claim remains denied.,The Veteran's low back disability is rated as 20 percent disabling, but further development is needed to determine if a higher rating is warranted.

The Veteran's last VA examination for bilateral hearing loss was in 2015, and he requests a new one due to worsening acuity. The Board agrees and remands the case.

The Board has decided to remand the issues of entitlement to an earlier effective date for service connection and increased rating for bilateral hearing loss due to new evidence indicating worsening symptoms.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus his claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service and has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding whether these conditions are related to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied because he does not have any service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the need for updated VA treatment records and an updated audiological examination.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is granted. The appeal regarding a higher rating for tinnitus is dismissed.

The Board has decided to remand the claim for additional development due to insufficient opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability. The case must be returned to the RO with the necessary documentation and a new VA opinion.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and determined that new evidence received since the last denial supports a finding that the Veteran's hearing loss is related to his in-service noise exposure. The Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability or in-service incurrence or aggravation.

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 Veteran's appeals for service connection on the merits have been withdrawn. The Board has remanded three issues: sleep apnea, residuals of MRSA staph infection, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is related to his military service.,Both conditions were noted at the time of entry into active service, with a preexisting right ear hearing loss. The Board found that the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss is as likely as not due to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's death was not caused by or contributed to by his service-connected conditions, and he did not meet the criteria for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.

The Board denied the Veteran's requests to reopen his claims for service connection for bilateral foot condition, bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus type II (DM), left shoulder pain, major depressive disorder (MDD), and lower back pain. The Board found that new evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and his active duty service.