Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate opinion regarding in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied because the new evidence submitted did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability and that any hearing loss did not manifest within one year after separation from active duty. The Board also found that the Veteran's statements linking his service to his current hearing loss are not competent.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The claim for tinnitus is granted, while the claim for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the cases of bilateral hearing loss and a dental condition.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss should be remanded due to inadequate examination and failure to address all theories of entitlement.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, upper back disability, lower back disability, sleep apnea, and prostate disability.,Service connection is not granted as the Veteran did not have a current disability at separation from service or within one year of separation. The Board also found no nexus between any in-service disease or injury and these disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, as his hearing loss and tinnitus did not prevent him from working.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to lack of medical records and need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, coronary artery disease, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, and tinnitus, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. His TDIU claim is granted.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as the evidence did not show that these conditions were caused by military noise exposure during service.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, ear condition including Meniere's disease and tinnitus due to potential worsening of symptoms and need for updated medical opinions.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss was not found to meet the criteria for a disability under VA compensation standards, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral foot disorder and bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate development of the record, including a need for VA examinations.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased evaluations for his bilateral hearing loss disability and PTSD. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical records, schedule VA examinations, and readjudicate the claims.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is rated as Level VII, which does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. The right ear has normal hearing and is considered non-service-connected.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which are closely linked.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 30 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available. The Board denied a higher rating for his hearing loss and granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities preventing him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's lower back pain is granted service connection. The AOJ must obtain a new medical opinion for the remaining issues.

The Veteran's increased rating for bilateral hearing loss is granted.,An increase in the rating for tinnitus is denied, as it already reaches the maximum available rating of 10 percent.