Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but the issues of secondary service connection for PVD due to CAD are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and his military service. The Veteran needs a new VA examination to address this issue.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting medical evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's representative provided new research suggesting delayed onset hearing loss, and a VA examiner is needed to reassess the claim.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected, with effective dates of May 29, 2013 for the hearing loss and March 10, 2014 for the tinnitus. The claim for an earlier effective date for tinnitus is denied.

The Board has not yet adjudicated the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD. The issue is being remanded to allow for appropriate consideration.,A bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus have been previously denied, but are now reopened due to new evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, with puretone thresholds at 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hertz ranging from 25 to 70 decibels in the right ear and 30 to 60 decibels in the left ear. The VA audiologist determined that these results equate to Level I hearing loss in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable disability rating.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran results in a favorable medical nexus between his current disability and in-service acoustic trauma.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a back disorder, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities (to include as secondary to diabetes mellitus), and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD, anxiety, and a panic disorder) due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's hearing loss was evaluated and found to be at Level I in both ears, which does not warrant a compensable evaluation. The Board denied the claim for an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and Meniere's syndrome, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected prostate cancer voiding disability, combined with other disabilities rated at least 60 percent, meets the criteria for SMC at the housebound rate beyond January 31, 2016.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, undiagnosed illness with chronic diarrhea (irritable bowel syndrome), tinnitus, and hearing loss, prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation. The Board granted the TDIU claim based on the combined effect of these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss because no new and relevant evidence was presented since the April 2006 denial.

The Board has determined that new evidence received after the final September 2015 rating decision warrants readjudication of the claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus. The claims are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, and TDIU is therefore denied.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 10 percent, the maximum rating available under VA guidelines. The Board found that his hearing acuity does not warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has not been found to be more than a noncompensable Level I hearing impairment, and thus his claim for a compensable rating is denied.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.