Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board denied a compensable rating for the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss, finding that his current hearing acuity does not warrant a higher evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for left ear hearing loss is denied as his disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence does not support a link between these conditions and military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, increased ratings for left knee disability and bilateral hearing loss, and initial compensable rating for a wrist disability were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support service connection for diabetes mellitus or establish a higher rating for any of these conditions.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates of May 5, 2014 for the awards of service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's claims were pending since he initially expressed intent to file a claim on May 5, 2014.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to in-service noise exposure and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and low back disability, finding no evidence of a current disability or a link to service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted, and he meets the schedular requirements for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran has multiple service-connected conditions that preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's conditions were not incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and obstructive sleep apnea are all granted as service-connected.,Service connection for arthritis of the hands and knees is denied.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are granted service connection. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss and skin disability (claimed as psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis) are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise that the Veteran’s tinnitus was caused by in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition. However, the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to inadequate medical opinion.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a right lower extremity disability, and left and right upper extremity disabilities have been dismissed. The appeal as to the issues of increased ratings for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and scar, status-post left hemi-laminectomy associated with degenerative disc disease lumbar spine is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been reopened, and both conditions are now considered to be related to his active duty service.

The Board has denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and initial compensable ratings for left ear hearing loss. The case is remanded to obtain VA examinations for the Veteran's left knee disability, low back condition, and headaches.,The Board has also found that there is insufficient evidence to grant service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of recent VA examination. The Veteran contends his hearing loss has worsened since his last evaluation.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary and the appeal is, therefore, REMANDED. The Veteran must provide information about his Social Security disability benefits and any relevant private medical records.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating than 50 percent. The Board found that his occupational and social impairment is best described as 'occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.' For entitlement to TDIU, the evidence shows that the Veteran was last employed in April 2014 due to his service-connected disabilities, which meet the criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to September 30, 2017.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss has been reopened, but the evidence does not support a grant of service connection. The claims for prostate cancer and bilateral upper extremity vascular disorders are denied as there is no credible evidence to support the Veteran's exposure to herbicides during his service at Fort Gordon. CAD was granted 100% rating effective April 1, 2015, but the claim for a higher evaluation prior to that date remains pending. The claims for supraventricular arrhythmia and migraine headaches are denied. The Veteran's chronic otitis externa is not compensable. SMC at housebound rate was granted on April 1, 2015. TDIU was granted prior to December 29, 2014.