Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss before the Board could make a decision.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not related to his military service. The decision also reopened the claim of service connection for this disability.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral recurrent tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are causally related to in-service loud noise exposure. The decision is based on direct service connection.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The left knee and bilateral hearing loss disability claims are remanded for further development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied as his service-connected hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA's rating schedule.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were granted, but his claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD) was denied.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were granted, but his claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD) was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including right knee degenerative joint disease, left knee replacement, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, have impacted his ability to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has remanded several issues for further development.

The claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted, and the appeal is denied for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, chronic liver disability, thyroid disorder, and hypertension have been remanded due to insufficient evidence.,Specifically, the Board requested a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased rating, TDIU and service connection for cause of death due to the Veteran's left femoral nerve palsy. The appellant is seeking a retrospective medical opinion on the nature, extent, and severity of all residual impairment stemming from the Veteran’s left femoral nerve palsy. Additionally, she wants an opinion regarding whether any of her service-connected disabilities caused or contributed to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is being remanded for further review due to the need for deck logs and JSRRC analysis. The bilateral hearing loss claim is also being remanded as a new VA examination is required.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 30 percent, which is the maximum rating available under VA regulations. The Board found that his current disability rating was appropriate based on the results of his October 2015 VA examination.

The petition to reopen the claim for service connection for skin cancer is granted, but the claim itself is denied. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence of current hearing loss severity. A new VA examination is needed.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connected, with the Board finding that there is at least a 50% likelihood that these conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, but denied service connection for left ear hearing loss. The decision is based on the Veteran's exposure to noise during combat and his current hearing loss disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current disabilities and service.

The Veteran's fungal infection and psoriasis are granted as service-connected. The Board also remanded several issues for further development.