Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to in-service noise exposure and that presumptive service connection is not warranted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has not yet determined whether new evidence is sufficient to grant these claims. The Veteran was granted service connection for tinnitus and headaches, while his claims for sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, acid reflux (secondary to PTSD), and erectile dysfunction (secondary to PTSD) are still pending.,The Veteran's low back condition claim remains denied as there is no new evidence provided that relates the current disability to active duty service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as his audiometric test results did not meet the requirements for current hearing loss under VA regulations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus are denied as effective dates prior to January 24, 2014. The Board has remanded the case due to a challenge of clear and unmistakable error in the January 1971 rating decision denying service connection for hearing loss.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hearing loss and sleep apnea were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or in-service incurrence, and the medical evidence does not support a nexus between any diagnosed conditions and service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and left knee disability should be remanded to allow for further examination and analysis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of Parkinson's disease, PTSD, Tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss have been denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.,Veteran does not have qualifying wartime service for nonservice-connected pension benefits.

The Board has remanded the cases of bilateral hearing loss and a compensable rating for hepatitis C due to potential missing VA records and an inadequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are granted as service connected. The case for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board dismissed the claim of service connection for PTSD. The claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were granted, with the Veteran finding in favor due to the lack of treatment records during service but post-service medical evidence linking his current conditions to service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied service connection for PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus has been reopened, and the claims are granted. The decision on whether new and material evidence was received to reopen the claim of service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability is in favor of reopening the claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability, neck disability, and bilateral hearing loss. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and residuals of TBI are denied as the earliest effective date is February 10, 2015.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted in part. Service connection has been established for left shoulder condition, cervical spine condition (claimed as cervical spondylosis and stenosis), lumbar spinal stenosis, bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, peripheral vestibular disorder, dizziness, obstructive sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease, headache condition, left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, and service connection has been reopened for alcoholism and drug abuse. Other claims have been denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connected. The evidence is at least in equipoise that these conditions started during service and have continued since.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, as the earliest possible effective date is June 19, 2014.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for hypertension are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting examinations.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability and remanded it due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's March 2015 statement indicating he experienced hearing loss since service was not considered in the previous decision.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development to obtain records and for an examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's left knee disability and bilateral hearing loss.