Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted, while claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied. The Veteran's gastrointestinal disorder claim is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate examination findings.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to incomplete examinations, lack of a statement of the case on one claim, and need for new evidence or examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD with depressive disorder have been denied. The evaluations remain at 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, and at 70 percent for PTSD with depressive disorder.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The RO found that the Veteran’s bilateral hearing loss, muscle spasm in his neck, and residual dislocation of his right shoulder are already rated at their maximum levels under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for low back disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, sinus disability, gastrointestinal disability, and hearing loss due to inadequate medical opinions in the December 2018 VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to his military service.,For bilateral hearing loss, the Board granted a 10 percent rating from June 10, 2013, to April 11, 2018. The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation beyond this period is remanded.

The Board has remanded several claims for further development, including obtaining updated VA examinations and opinions to address the etiology of various conditions. The Veteran's service connection claims are not related to exposure to herbicide agents or the PACT Act.

The Board has remanded the cases due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations.

The Veteran's hearing loss disability is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board has ordered a remand to determine if it warrants a higher rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an effective date prior to September 20, 2017 and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran was granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss on September 20, 2017.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate reasoning in a previous VA medical opinion and the need for additional evidence.

The Veteran's lung contusion and contusion of the eyelids and periocular area claims have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim has been granted as it began during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that there was not a correlation between his current hearing loss and in-service noise exposure. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's hearing loss is less likely due to military noise exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service. The decision also grants secondary service connection for tinnitus as it is associated with his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss has been granted. The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at the maximum allowable rating of 10 percent.,The Veteran's right ear hearing loss remains in need of further review as it was not addressed with a compensable rating.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was evaluated and found to be no higher than 52.5 dB in the left ear and 46 dB in the right ear, resulting in a non-compensable rating for hearing loss.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the Veteran’s current auditory acuity levels do not warrant any increase in his disability rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral knee, ankle, and foot disorders, as well as hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of service treatment records (STRs) and military personnel records (MPRs).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance or being housebound.