Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a back condition due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to noncompliance with prior remand directives.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions (bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and tonsillectomy) do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance or housebound status due to his nonservice-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus. The claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to inadequate examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a significant threshold shift to suggest ear damage during service and no link between current hearing loss and service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's symptoms have been present since his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are at least as likely as not related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus should be remanded due to incomplete records and need for further examination.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied, as the evidence did not show that his service-connected hearing loss was worse than Level I.,The Veteran's skin cancer of the arms is remanded and will require further examination to determine its etiology.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as the NOD was not filed within one year of the March 2016 rating decision.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to in-service noise exposure. The decision is based on credible lay statements of the Veteran.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted service connection.,Effective June 13, 2014, the Veteran is assigned a 10 percent rating for his scars on the chest and right leg.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient medical evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the unreliability of the August 2017 VA examination results and the lack of audiometric test results from January 2017. The case will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The Board has also remanded several issues for further development.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at a 60 percent rating from October 13, 2016 through August 20, 2019. The Board finds that this rating is appropriate based on the audiometric results provided.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete VA examination and lack of consideration of the Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service noise exposure. The examiner is requested to provide an addendum opinion on whether the Veteran’s pre-existing bilateral hearing loss increased in severity during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of these conditions. The Board acknowledges in-service noise exposure but requires further medical guidance.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a TDIU, effective date prior to September 7, 2018 for a 50% rating for TBI with major depression, and an effective date prior to November 26, 2018 for a 70% rating for TBI with major depression. The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for migraine headaches is also remanded.