Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 40 percent effective November 15, 2018. Prior to this date, the rating was noncompensable.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disability and an initial rating for bilateral hearing loss due to potential asbestos exposure during service. The claims will be reviewed with further medical examination.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss before a decision was made by the Board.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to new evidence being associated with his case and a need for additional examinations.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for hearing loss and skin lesions before the Board could make a decision.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss but remanded the issue of right ear hearing loss due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is found to have begun during active service.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and remanded the cases for further development regarding right wrist fracture residuals, asthma, and TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss was granted a 30 percent rating as of June 3, 2015.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss, and therefore, his claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has dismissed the appellant's claims for service connection for a left foot condition, claimed as plantar fasciitis; a right foot condition, claimed as hallux valgus; and hearing loss disability. The appeal was deemed inadequate due to lack of specific allegations of error in the determinations.,The petition to reopen the previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for right tronchanteric bursitis is granted.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for various disabilities and a rating in excess of 20 percent for Type II diabetes mellitus. The issues include psychiatric disability (PTSD), lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity neurological disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, right calf disability, left calf disability, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate examinations in June 2015. The Veteran was not present at his scheduled VA examinations, and the case is being returned to provide him with another opportunity to attend.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under VA rating criteria.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are related to the Veteran's in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's application to reopen claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is granted. The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted, but the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss was not shown as chronic in service or within a presumptive period, did not manifest to a compensable degree within a presumptive period, and was not noted in service with attributable continuity of symptomatology. The preponderance of the evidence is against finding that a nexus exists between the Veteran’s hearing loss and an in-service injury, event or disease.

The Board has decided to remand the cases due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and tinnitus. A new VA examination is needed.

The Veteran's initial rating for hearing loss of the left ear was denied as it did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.,Service connection for depression was granted, with the opinion that the condition is related to service due to misbehavior in personnel records.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that it does not warrant a higher rating based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, with level II impairment in the right ear and level I impairment in the left ear. The Board denied an initial compensable evaluation for this condition.