Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence linking his current condition to his time in service. The Veteran's hearing was within normal limits at both entrance and separation from service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities related to these conditions. The claim for service connection for sleep apnea was granted on a secondary basis, with the aggravation being due to his service-connected right foot and ankle injuries.,Service connection for congestive heart failure and residuals of transient ischemic attacks (stroke) were denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not causally or etiologically related to his military service.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is granted as service connected. The right ear hearing loss claim is denied. The Veteran's left and right knee disabilities are remanded for further examination.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss should be remanded due to inadequate medical opinion regarding in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and any acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) due to insufficient examination reports and lack of nexus opinions. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions, which are currently considered direct service connection cases.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions, including coronary artery disease with congestive heart failure, posttraumatic stress disorder, prostate cancer, bilateral hearing loss, and diabetes mellitus type II. Service connection was granted for tinnitus.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no current disability or evidence of in-service noise exposure leading to these conditions.

The Veteran's preexisting bilateral flat feet was aggravated by service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds no basis to grant a higher rating.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as zero percent disabling, which is the maximum rating available under VA regulations.,The Veteran's tinnitus has been assigned a single 10 percent rating since September 2014 and there is no legal basis for an increased rating.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and lack of in-service evidence of hearing loss, requiring a new VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease, PTSD, diabetes mellitus, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to maintain gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU for the entire appeal period.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's MOS was consistent with noise exposure and he first noticed ringing in his ear while on active duty. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as the Veteran does not meet the criteria set forth in 38 C.F.R. § 3.385.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The right ear hearing loss and back disability claims are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, and the claim is now granted.

The Board has decided that there may be relevant VA treatment records not yet obtained, and these need to be requested in order to make a full determination on the service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal includes a request to review the reduction of his hearing loss rating from 10 percent to noncompensable, effective March 1, 2016. The Board has determined that this issue is inextricably intertwined with the claim for an increased rating and thus must be remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right hand disability, left hand disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been granted.,Service connection was established for tinnitus due to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease, PTSD, hearing loss, and tinnitus, have prevented him from engaging in substantially gainful employment for the entire period on appeal. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these conditions.