Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is being remanded due to the need for new examinations to determine their etiology.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss is denied, and his initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss is also denied.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran did not have a hearing disability during service or within one year of discharge. The VA examiner concluded that the current hearing loss is not related to service exposure.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as the evidence did not show that his disability warranted a rating greater than 70 percent prior to January 6, 2018 and 80 percent thereafter.

The reduction in the rating for bilateral hearing loss from 40 percent to 0 percent effective January 1, 2017 was proper. The discontinuation of TDIU effective January 1, 2017 was not proper.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and vasodepressor syncope. The Veteran's claim for hypertension was remanded.,Service connection was not granted for the claimed conditions due to lack of evidence linking them to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for new VA examinations to assess the current severity of his service-connected right ear hearing loss and bilateral ingrown toenails, as well as outstanding private treatment records from Dr. Gelia.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 20 percent since May 17, 2017. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to February 11, 2014 for service connection of pancreatitis, DM2, PTSD with secondary ETOH, right lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss have been denied.,The Veteran's claim for effective date prior to February 11, 2013 for service connection of CAD has also been denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities include a cervical spine disability, bilateral hearing loss, low back disability, and other conditions. The Board has granted entitlement to TDIU since September 27, 2011.,Prior to September 27, 2011, the Veteran’s service-connected disabilities did not meet the threshold requirements for a schedular TDIU. However, the evidence suggests that his service-connected disabilities may impact his employability and should be referred to the Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of his claims as they are now moot.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The issues of left ear hearing loss and esophagus spasm (achalasia) are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of a right leg disorder, right foot disorder, and GI disorder are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records. The decision on the original claims remains pending.

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

The Board has remanded the claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board has found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a lung disorder, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss disability, or bilateral tinnitus. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule the Veteran for VA examinations.

The Board has decided that a compensable rating for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not appropriate and has ordered further examination to determine the current severity of his condition.

The Veteran's back disability and associated neurological disorders have been granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities as of September 9, 2010.

The Board denied the Veteran's request to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, finding no new and material evidence that would support reopening the claim.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development regarding his service-connected mental condition, left knee degenerative changes, right knee degenerative changes, and bilateral hearing loss.