Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for residuals of a traumatic brain injury and bilateral hearing loss due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The claims are being reviewed again as they raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims.

The Board has granted service connection for left hip osteoarthritis as aggravated by service-connected knee disabilities. The hearing loss and tinnitus claims are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD has been granted.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD has been withdrawn and dismissed.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and coronary artery disease, to include as due to herbicide exposure. However, the claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied.

The Veteran's application to reopen the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted. The Board has also remanded the claims for service connection for lumbar spine disability due to outstanding records and additional examination.

The Veteran's unspecified anxiety disorder is granted a rating of 30 percent, effective from the date of this decision. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is denied as not meeting the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal. The issue of service connection for tinnitus is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and therefore his TDIU claim is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pre-existing bilateral hearing loss was permanently aggravated by his active military service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied as the onset of his tinnitus did not occur during or within one year after service, and it is less likely than not related to in-service acoustic trauma.

The Board has remanded the case due to inconsistencies in previous decisions and the need for further development regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as he is able to secure and follow substantially gainful employment despite his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran was granted service connection for tinnitus, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for cervicogenic headaches is granted. The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran currently has a headache disability secondary to his service-connected cervical spine disability. The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to inadequate opinion regarding its etiology.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evidence collection.

The Veteran's appeals for various conditions and ratings have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions. The claims are pending until further action is taken.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, as the current VA medical opinion relied on the absence of in-service evidence and did not provide sufficient reasoning for its conclusion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and an initial compensable rating for right ear hearing loss are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and records.

The Board has denied service connection for tinnitus and remanded the issue of a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted service connection. The low back disability is remanded for further development.