Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss is dismissed. Service connection has been granted for bilateral ankle pain, and the remaining issues (bilateral hip disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and TMJ disorder) are remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or continuity of symptoms.,The Veteran does not have a compensable evaluation for erectile dysfunction associated with prostate cancer due to lack of penile deformity.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional development and consideration of new evidence. The effective dates for PTSD and headaches remain denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, erectile dysfunction, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and depression were denied. The Veteran was granted a 10 percent rating for lumbar disc degeneration status post fusion, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral syndrome. The Veteran's claims for initial ratings in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus, disability ratings in excess of 50 percent for sleep apnea with insomnia, and disability ratings in excess of 10 percent for hypertension were denied.,The Veteran was not granted service connection for right ear hearing loss or erectile dysfunction. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and a rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and secondary service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder due to exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, GERD, depression, and tinnitus. The issues of service connection for these conditions are being remanded to the RO.

The Board found that the reduction in rating for bilateral hearing loss from 20% to noncompensable effective October 31, 2017 was proper based on improvement of the Veteran's hearing.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and residuals of a traumatic brain injury with memory loss. The decision found that new and material evidence was not received to reopen any of these claims.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD was denied, and his request for a TDIU (Total Disability Independent of Rating) was also denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating or a TDIU based on his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at a 20 percent level, but no higher, based on the April 2019 VA audiological examination results.

The Board has decided to remand the veteran's claims for further development due to missing medical records and incomplete submissions. The appellant will be asked to provide VA permission to obtain additional relevant medical records from various doctors.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, sinusitis, and headaches as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted. Bilateral hearing loss is found to be at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure, while tinnitus is considered a symptom of the service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to additional development being necessary.

The Board has found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service and has granted service connection for this condition. The case of tinnitus, however, requires further examination as the current evidence does not establish a clear link between the Veteran's current tinnitus and his military service.

The Veteran's high cholesterol, acquired psychiatric disorders (including PTSD, anxiety, and depression), astigmatism and refractive error of the eyes, frequent urination, crescentic IgA nephropathy with congenital left atrophic kidney condition, right knee disability, left ear hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, hypertension, and acid reflux are all denied as service connection. The Veteran's character of discharge for his period of active service from March 2007 to April 2012 is a bar to VA benefits.,The Veteran was not diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder or multiple personality disorder during his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and therefore denied his claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied, and his claim for service connection for scoliosis of the spine is remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus due to unclear evidence regarding in-service exposure to acoustic trauma. The VA will obtain additional medical records, determine if the Veteran was assigned to an artillery unit during service, and schedule a VA audiological examination.