Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the claims for an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss and TDIU prior to July 5, 2017 due to the need for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA records and scheduling a VA psychiatric examination to determine whether any current or previously diagnosed psychiatric disorder is related to service.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. Service connection for right ear hearing loss, right knee condition, right leg condition, and left knee condition were denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that his in-service noise exposure likely caused his current hearing impairment.

The Board has remanded the claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a duty-to-assist error. The Veteran's service treatment records from his prior period of service are needed for proper adjudication.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to receipt of additional evidence. The AOJ is instructed to attempt to obtain all relevant records and readjudicate the cases.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in service and is not related to his active duty.,His right lower extremity, left lower extremity, and right arm/upper extremity peripheral neuropathies were not incurred in service and are not related to his active duty.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's vertigo is caused or aggravated by his service-connected hearing loss and/or tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the current disabilities are related to military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, specifically his vestibular disability, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. As a result, the Board has granted a TDIU.

The Veteran's attorney, B.A., is eligible for payment of fees from past-due benefits awarded in the June 2013 Board decision and effectuated in the August 2013 rating decision which granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for lumbar spine DDD. The issue of reasonableness of attorney fees is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board finds that he meets the schedular requirement for TDIU.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected, with the Board finding that these conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the cases due to a need for new examinations and evaluations, particularly regarding the Veteran's left ear hearing loss.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of April 13, 2010 for the award of a 20 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis, bilateral eye disorder, respiratory disorder, skin disorder, right knee disability, and right hip disability are remanded.

The claim for service connection has been reopened, but the issues of left knee disorder, bilateral hearing loss, lumbar spine disorder, right shoulder disorder, left foot disorder, and right foot disorder are remanded due to lack of a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to August 21, 2012, February 19, 2014, and February 19, 2014 are denied as there is no evidence of an informal claim or intent to file a claim before these dates.,The Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for left hip surgical scar and tinnitus are remanded due to the need for further development and consideration.,No effective date prior to February 19, 2014 is granted as there was no informal claim or intent to file a claim before this date.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The issues of service connection for various conditions, including right rotator cuff condition, back condition, asbestosis, and knee conditions are remanded due to outstanding records.

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

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment, thus his TDIU claim is denied.