Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board has decided that a new examination is needed to determine the severity of the Veteran's hearing loss and its etiology, as the current examination lacks sufficient rationale and did not consider the Veteran's service connection claim.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss disability as the evidence did not show it was incurred during or related to service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and a psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression). The Veteran's current disabilities are not related to his military service.,Service connection was also denied for testicular inflammation with pain (including epididymitis and varicocele), as there is no evidence of such condition in the records.

The Veteran's appeal for TDIU is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling examinations for his service-connected conditions.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding no current disabilities meet VA standards. The Veteran's claims were not supported by medical evidence of a present disability.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, but denied service connection for skin disability and psychiatric disorder. The case is remanded for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and examination, including for an audiologist's opinion on hearing loss and tinnitus, a VA examiner's opinion on hypertension, and another VA examination for the right knee disability.

The Board has determined that additional evidence was received since the most recent statements of the case and requires further consideration. The claims for service connection are being remanded to allow for readjudication.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted. However, the Board found that there was no evidence to support a direct link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of his hearing loss, GERD, and PTSD. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the PTSD claim.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum rating available under VA regulations. The Board found that his symptoms do not warrant a higher evaluation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to additional development being needed, particularly regarding audiometric data from his separation examination.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD is granted, and the appeal to reopen his claim is successful. The Board also remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not render him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment.

The appeal for service connection of a bilateral hearing loss disability is dismissed due to the appellant's death.

The Veteran's appeal regarding tinnitus and his service-connected right and left ear hearing loss is remanded due to the need for additional evidence. The Veteran seeks service connection for right ear hearing loss, which he asserts is related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient medical records from his period of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and the need to obtain additional private treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's conditions were aggravated by his combat service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his military service.