Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for bilateral hearing loss and asthma as the Veteran requested withdrawal of these issues. The remaining issues have been remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection and increased ratings for various conditions, including amputation of the left thumb, scar of the left thumb, and GSW scar of the left anterior chest wall. The Veteran's claims are pending further review.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further action on his increased rating claim for right knee degenerative changes and meniscal tear, as well as his earlier effective date claims for both disabilities.

The Veteran's service connection claim for left-ear hearing loss is granted, while the claim for right-ear hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD have been denied. The RO assigned a 20% rating for bilateral hearing loss, which is the maximum available under VA regulations. For PTSD, the Veteran was already receiving a 50% rating, so no increase in rating was granted.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issue of an increased rating for lumbar spine arthritis.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of headaches, a sleep disorder, and bilateral hearing loss disability due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss is being considered. The Board has also remanded the issue of whether a reduction from 10 percent to noncompensable, effective July 1, 2014, was proper.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss should be remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of his condition.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to incomplete audiometric testing records.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted as the evidence shows current disabilities, in-service noise exposure, and continuity of symptoms since separation from service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran is seeking service connection for this condition, which he claims was incurred during his military service in Vietnam.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral onychomycosis and an earlier effective date for a 30 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss were denied. The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the onychomycosis claim, and determined that the effective date of the 30 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss should be June 30, 2011.

The Board has dismissed the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as they have already been granted in a previous rating decision.

The Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is related to his military service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and migraines (claimed as tension headaches) were denied. The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss did not warrant a compensable rating, his tinnitus was rated at its maximum allowable level of 10 percent, and his migraines did not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to lack of prostrating attacks.

The Board has denied service connection for borderline personality disorder and a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus. The Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, an initial rating higher than 50 percent for PTSD, and an effective date earlier than October 7, 2010 for the award of service connection for PTSD are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate opinion from a VA examiner regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and its relation to his military service. The examiner did not adequately address in-service noise exposure, reports of left ear bleeding, and continuous symptomatology since service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss was denied in an August 2008 rating decision. The Board has now reopened the claim due to new and material evidence, but remanded it for further development.