Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, thus denying his claim for TDIU.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities, finding that they do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's hearing loss is related to service, but the Board finds that there is insufficient evidence regarding his tinnitus and remands for further examination.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to service exposure, and the Board grants service connection.,The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is presumed due to his Vietnam-era service, and the Board grants service connection.,There is insufficient evidence to determine if the Veteran has bilateral hearing loss or its etiology.,The claim for erectile dysfunction is remanded as it may be related to ischemic heart disease.,The Veteran's nervous tremors are remanded due to lack of clarity in the medical records and need for further examination.,The Veteran's neuropathy of the lower extremities is remanded for a determination on its etiology, including potential connection to service exposure.,The Veteran's memory loss is remanded as it needs clarification regarding its relationship to service.

The Veteran's bilateral shin splints, left foot condition, and left great toe condition were denied as they are not shown to be related to service.,Hearing loss and tinnitus were also denied as there is no evidence of a current disability within one year post-service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and evaluations to determine the nature, etiology, severity, and service connection of her claimed conditions.

Your claims for service connection have been dismissed as you did not file an adequate substantive appeal.,The Board has determined that your appeals were not properly filed, and thus lacks jurisdiction to consider the issues.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss disability was denied, and the issue of service connection for an eye disability is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a substance abuse disability has been reopened. The issues of entitlement to service connection for psychiatric disabilities, including a substance abuse disability; right foot disability; sleep apnea; bilateral hearing loss; tinnitus; esophageal disorder; hypertension; chronic lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease (DDD); and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity are all remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been granted. The Board found that the evidence established a link between these conditions and his active service, despite normal hearing at separation.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus for further examination as the current evidence does not establish a clear link between these conditions and service.

The Board has denied the reopening of claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, and tinnitus due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate reasons and bases for ignoring the puretone threshold shift between the Veteran's entrance and separation audiograms, and instead relying on the April 2009 examiner’s opinion.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum rating available under VA guidelines. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to in-service acoustic trauma.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is granted service connection. The remaining issues of service connection for a cervical spine disability, left foot disability, and bilateral hearing loss disability are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but has remanded the issues of right knee disability and right knee scars due to incomplete records.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 60 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating. The appeal for TDIU due to service-connected bilateral hearing loss was also denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted service connection, while hypertension is remanded for further evaluation.