Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board has denied service connection for hypertension due to a lack of evidence showing the onset or etiology in service. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded as there are insufficient opinions regarding its etiology.

The Board denied service connection for right shoulder, right ankle, and bilateral hearing loss disabilities. It also denied increased ratings for COPD, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, and residuals of a thoracic spine fracture.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to insufficient medical evidence regarding his bilateral hearing loss. The VA needs to obtain additional audiometric and speech discrimination scores, clarify conflicting data, and provide the Veteran with a new examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient consideration of his lay statements regarding his symptoms.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, neurocognitive disorder, left foot condition, status post right foot infection, allergic rhinitis, chronic bronchitis, degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder, degenerative joint disease of the right shoulder, degenerative joint disease of the left elbow, degenerative joint disease of the right elbow, degenerative joint disease of the left hand, degenerative joint disease of the left hip, degenerative joint disease of the right hip, degenerative joint disease of the left knee, degenerative joint disease of the right knee, degenerative joint disease of the left ankle, and degenerative joint disease of the right ankle have been reopened. The Veteran's claims for cervical spine condition and lower back condition were not reopened.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, damage to the ear, and tinnitus were denied as new and material evidence was not presented. The Board found that there is no link between any of these conditions and active service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate rationale in the VA opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran contends that his hearing loss began during service and is related to noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection related to bilateral knee disability, bilateral lower leg shin splints, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral tinnitus require additional development due to outstanding records and the need for a VA examination.

The Board has found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability did not have its onset in service and is not otherwise related to service. The claims for peripheral neuropathy of various extremities, erectile dysfunction, and a left ear hearing loss disability are all remanded due to insufficient evidence.

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

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disability during or within one year after service and no indication of diminished hearing functionality for several decades following service. The Board concluded that the Veteran's current diagnosis is not related to his active duty service.

The Board is unable to properly analyze the claim due to unclear records regarding whether the Veteran's October 1990 hearing loss was 'noted' at entry, and thus remanded for further clarification.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his active duty military service, and thus grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for an increase rating on his right ankle fracture with degenerative changes was dismissed. The Board also remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a back disorder, and respiratory disorder.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions did not manifest within one year of separation from active duty and were not causally related to his military service.

The claim for service connection for Meniere's disease, left ear hearing loss, cervical spine disability, left knee condition, right knee condition, TMJ, urinary incontinence, hypothyroidism, and migraine headaches is granted. The effective date of the award is not specified.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus and left ear hearing loss are granted service connection. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, residuals of cerebrovascular accident (CVA), depressive disorder, right ear hearing loss, and sleep apnea. Service connection was denied for left ear hearing loss and erectile dysfunction.