Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are as likely as not causally related to noise exposure during active service, thus granting service connection for both conditions.

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 acoustic trauma exposure.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted service connection for tinnitus. The decision found that the Veteran's hearing loss was not related to his military service, but his tinnitus is considered a disability due to noise exposure during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss must be remanded due to insufficient evidence and a need for further examination.

The Board has denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's claim for diabetes mellitus will be reconsidered without new and material evidence, as relevant military records have been added since the last final decision.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss effective from May 17, 1989. The original claim was denied in July 1989 due to lack of evidence of an in-service event, but a later acquired service record established the relevant in-service treatment for rubella.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to February 26, 2018, and in excess of 30 percent thereafter is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are related to in-service noise exposure, and thus service connection is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation since November 28, 2017. A TDIU is granted effective from that date.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, specifically his in-service noise exposure and its relation to his current condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and examinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted. The claim for an increased rating for lumbosacral spondylosis is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of his hearing loss disabilities, as well as the inferred claim for TDIU due to his incarceration, are being remanded for further action.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back, left knee, right knee, bilateral hearing loss, obstructive sleep apnea, and migraine headaches. The claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss disability have been assigned the maximum schedular ratings available, with no legal basis for higher ratings. The Board has also identified additional VA examinations are needed to clarify the nature of his claimed lower respiratory and upper respiratory disabilities.,The Veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral leg pain, an upper respiratory disability, and a lower respiratory disability (to include asbestosis). Additional VA examinations are necessary to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as the evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus, including service connection for right ear hearing loss and a compensable evaluation for left ear hearing loss. The rating for tinnitus remains at 10 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hemorrhoids were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show a current disability of either condition, nor could it be linked to service.