Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence in the record. The Veteran is presumed to have noise exposure during service, but his claim for hearing loss remains pending as the VA examiner did not provide a nexus opinion.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and degenerative arthritis of the knees have been denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for his bilateral hearing loss, as his hearing acuity was no worse than Level VII in the right ear and Level I in the left ear. For his knee disabilities, the Board determined that the flexion limitation did not warrant a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to higher ratings for PTSD and right clavicle fracture residuals, as well as service connection for various disabilities. The effective date of the TDIU award is still under review.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss case is on hold due to a lack of evidence supporting an extra-schedular rating, while his left shoulder disability and TDIU claims are pending.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various disabilities have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.,The Veteran has withdrawn all issues except for entitlement to service connection for a left knee disability, right knee disability, back disability, neck disability, sleep disability, and hypertension.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 30% rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there was no increase in disability within the year prior to July 18, 2018.

Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted as the Veteran's in-service noise exposure likely caused his current condition.,Service connection for a right hip disorder and a right knee disorder are denied as there is no evidence of their direct or secondary relationship to service-connected conditions.,Service connection for a lumbar spine disorder is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding its relationship to service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that it is caused by noise exposure during his military service.

Service connection is granted for right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss (preexisting).,Service connection is also granted for sinus disorder and GERD. Sleep apnea secondary to service-connected PTSD is also granted.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as the evidence does not establish a link between his current condition and active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and his in-service noise exposure. The Veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss, which he contends was caused by noise exposure during active duty service.

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

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD renders him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus TDIU is granted. The Veteran's claim for increased disability ratings for PTSD prior to May 2, 2014, and in excess of 70 percent thereafter is dismissed.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death, finding that his service-connected conditions did not contribute substantially or materially to his death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability has been denied. The Board found no current hearing loss disability during the pendency of the claim and thus denied the claim.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied because he failed to report for scheduled VA examinations without good cause.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for his service-connected left shoulder disability was denied as there is no evidence of an impairment of the humerus, including loss of head (flail shoulder).

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted service connection. The rating for hypertension has been remanded.

The appeal for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for chronic skin rash is dismissed as the Veteran requested its withdrawal prior to the Board's decision.,The claims for service connection for sleep apnea and a chronic acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded due to insufficient evidence on etiology.,The claims for increased ratings for left knee disabilities and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to lack of recent VA examinations.,,,

The Board has found that a remand is necessary for the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder, as there are insufficient medical opinions to support the current evaluations. The Veteran will need to undergo additional examinations to determine if her conditions are related to active service.