Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right ankle disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated during his military service.

The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder condition, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus as there was no probative medical evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current hearing loss, pharyngitis, acne, or a chronic disability manifested by an abnormal lab result for VA purposes. The claims are therefore denied.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected.,Service connection for bilateral shoulder tendonitis, elbow tendonitis, and wrist tendonitis is denied.,Right ear hearing loss and sinusitis are remanded for further evaluation.,Hypertension is also remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to conflicting opinions regarding the service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The examiner needs to clarify why there is a delayed onset of tinnitus linked to in-service noise exposure but not hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss, finding no evidence of current disability as defined by VA standards. Service connection was also denied for diabetes mellitus, type 2, with a final rating of 60 percent from July 5, 2018.,The Veteran's initial claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2, resulted in a 20 percent rating prior to April 19, 2013. This was increased to 40 percent from April 19, 2013 to July 4, 2018, and finally to 60 percent thereafter.

The appeal to reopen a claim of service connection for low back condition is denied. Service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) is granted. A rating of 20 percent, but no higher, for residuals of broken right thumb is granted. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded.

Service connection for tinnitus is granted.,A disability rating of 10 percent, but no higher, for bilateral plantar fasciitis prior to August 15, 2016, is granted. A rating in excess of 50 percent thereafter is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, back disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and skin disorder due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to maintain gainful employment, and the Board has granted a total rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted service connection for tinnitus. The decision found that the Veteran's hearing loss was not related to his military service, but his tinnitus began during service and has continued since.

The Board has granted effective dates of July 21, 2010 for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD. The issues of service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity and right upper extremity are remanded.

The Veteran's hypertension, blood clots, aneurysm with stroke, seizure disorder, memory impairment, depressive disorder, sleep disorder, nerve pain, kidney disorder, and anemia are not service-connected.,Tinnitus was also denied as service-connected.

The Board denied service connection for low back disability, bilateral hearing loss, and obstructive sleep apnea. Service connection was granted for bilateral hearing loss. The Board also denied service connection for left leg sciatica.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure. The decision resolves all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating and increased rating claims for bilateral hearing loss and left hand carpal tunnel are being remanded due to the need for updated VA treatment records, translation of foreign language documents, and a new VA examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current hearing loss and in-service noise exposure. The Veteran's hearing loss was first noted many years after service ended.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for service-connected hearing loss has been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a chronic ear disability, bilateral hearing loss, vertigo, and tinnitus has been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. The claims are now remanded for further evaluation.