Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate opinion from a VA examiner regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The claim will be reviewed with additional medical opinions and consideration of all relevant evidence.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including scheduling appropriate examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including major depressive disorder and back conditions, are found to be so severe that they prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea was granted service connection as it began during active service.,Regarding left ankle achilles tendonitis, the Board remanded for additional evidence and a new examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence. The case is remanded for further action on the SMC and PTSD rating claims.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was evaluated and found to be at Level I in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable rating. The Board denied an initial compensable rating for the condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, lumbar spine disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, and both knees. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's OSA is related to his period of active service and has been granted. The Veteran's right ankle injury and bilateral hearing loss do not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran is granted service connection for tinnitus, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for special monthly compensation and 38 U.S.C. § 1151 benefits are remanded due to the need for clarification of the relationship between his lithium use and the occurrence of his claimed symptoms, as well as a determination on the propriety of the use of lithium in this particular case.

The Board has remanded the case due to the inextricably intertwined issues of service connection and whether the Appellant has status as a veteran for VA purposes. The AOJ is instructed to request specific details from the Appellant regarding his claimed disabilities and their potential relationship to his military service, including which periods of ACDUTRA or INACDUTRA he believes are relevant.

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for service connection for various conditions, including a right knee disability and PTSD, was denied. The Board found no new and material evidence to support reopening these claims.,Service connection for fibromyalgia, left knee disability, sleep apnea, and bilateral hearing loss were also denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and his in-service acoustic trauma. Additional examination is needed to determine if there is a link.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's tinnitus began during service and has persisted since then. Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of evidence linking it to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for asymptomatic granulomatous liver disease and bilateral hearing loss due to the need for additional medical examination and development of records.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of current hearing loss meeting VA criteria and concluding that any potential hearing loss is not related to service.

The Veteran's initial claim for hearing loss was denied in 1968. The appeal is for an initial rating prior to September 8, 1994 and the effective date of service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus for additional medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the reopening of previously denied claims for right shoulder tendonitis, left shoulder tendonitis, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Board has denied an increased rating for PTSD and remanded the issue of service connection for left ear hearing loss.