Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied, but his claim for tinnitus is granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss as there is no evidence of a current disability. The issue of an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for a back disability is remanded due to incomplete VA examination records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for tailbone injury, bilateral hearing loss, myopia, right hand disability, left knee disability, and left ankle disability. The decision also denied an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

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 military noise exposure.

The Board is remanding the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to the Veteran's incarceration, which makes it difficult to conduct a VA examination. The Veteran has been given an additional 90 days to provide medical evidence of his current disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected depression, migraine headaches with cervical myofascial pain, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus are found to be etiologically related. The claim for service connection for depression is granted. The evaluations for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus remain at 10 percent.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased ratings have been dismissed. The Board has granted a separate rating of 30 percent, but no higher, for limitation of extension from March 31, 2015.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, finding that it is related to his in-service acoustic trauma as an aviation electronics technician.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current hearing loss and service exposure. A new VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's hearing impairment is related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to failure of the Veteran to report for VA examinations. The case will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is being remanded for further examination and opinion as the VA examiner did not provide a rationale for their conclusion that it was less likely than not related to service.

The Board dismissed all the issues related to service connection and rating for PTSD, hearing loss, tinnitus, and sleep apnea due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to insufficient evidence. The hearing loss claim is denied, and the cervical and thoracic spine conditions are not supported by the evidence. Service connection for left knee degenerative joint disease and right knee degenerative joint disease remains pending.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to service, and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's tinnitus is considered to be related to his in-service hazardous noise exposure, while there is no evidence of a current hearing loss disability that meets VA criteria.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connected, with the hearing loss being directly related to in-service noise exposure. Tinnitus is also service-connected on a secondary basis due to the service-connected hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the VA examination provided in April 2014 was inadequate to make an informed decision on the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability. The case is being remanded for further development, including obtaining additional medical opinions and records.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and pneumothorax were denied as there was no evidence of a service connection. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current disability, and there was insufficient evidence to establish aggravation during service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted with a 40 percent disability rating from July 19, 2012 to April 13, 2017.,The Veteran's asbestosis is granted with a 60 percent disability rating from July 19, 2012 to April 3, 2017 and denied for any higher rating after that date.