Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for dental condition, lumbar spine disorder, right ankle disorder, and right ear hearing loss due to incomplete records and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence linking his current hearing loss to in-service noise exposure and that the disability first manifested many years after discharge from service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU as his service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain or maintain gainful employment.

The rating reduction from 50% to 30% for bilateral hearing loss was improper, and the 50% rating is restored. The Veteran's tinnitus claim remains at a 10% rating, frostbite residuals of left hand remain at 30%, and frostbite residuals of right hand also remain at 30%. The effective date for the tinnitus award cannot be earlier than September 2, 2005.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss of the right ear has been reopened, and he is now service connected. His bilateral hearing loss is not compensable under VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there was no medical link to service, while his colon cancer was denied due to lack of a nexus to exposure at Camp Lejeune.,Left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy were all denied as there was no medical link between the conditions and service. Depression was also denied.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including service connection for PTSD and other conditions. The Veteran's current diagnoses do not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating for PTSD.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to active service.

The Board dismissed the claims of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus due to the death of the appellant during the appeal process.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are related to noise exposure during his active military service.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to the Veteran not having hearing loss for VA purposes. The claims for service connection of other conditions are remanded as there is insufficient evidence and a need for further examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connected. The low back disability is remanded for further review.

The Board has remanded four issues: service connection for a back disorder, bilateral hearing loss, drug abuse, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD).

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service-connected, but his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable (0%) since August 30, 2016. The Board found that the audiometric findings and speech recognition scores from November 2016 and November 2017 examinations do not establish a compensable disability rating for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination to determine if the Veteran's hearing loss is related to his military service, including noise exposure. The decision on tinnitus remains granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left knee osteoarthritis and bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient examination opinions. The Veteran is seeking service connection for his current conditions, which are related to his service-connected right knee osteoarthritis and conceded noise exposure during service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his pure tone thresholds did not meet the criteria for any higher rating.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's reported symptoms of tinnitus are credible and consistent with his military exposure to noise. However, service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.