Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied them. The claim for a bilateral knee condition was granted on remand.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, but denied it on the merits. The claim for accrued benefits was also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for left ear hearing loss, right-hand dermatitis, and bilateral knee condition are remanded due to insufficient evidence. The claim for right ear cholesteatoma is also remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional examinations and treatment records. The Board is requesting further evidence to determine if his current conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for vertigo remains pending. The Board has remanded the claims of higher ratings for PTSD with TBI, bilateral hearing loss, and left foot pes planus.,Further development is needed to obtain VA treatment records from the Coatesville VAMC, reschedule a VA audiological examination, and conduct a comprehensive VA examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's service-connected left foot disorder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected, but his hearing loss remains under consideration due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable initial rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied as the audiometric findings do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's pre-existing condition was not aggravated by service and that he had significant hearing loss at service separation.

The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at the highest available schedular rating of 10 percent, and a higher rating is denied.,The Veteran's allergic rhinitis does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating as there are no polyps or greater than 50-percent obstruction on both sides of the nasal passage.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating based on the average hearing threshold levels.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional VA audiology treatment records, specifically audiometric results from the Richmond, VA VAMC and associated outpatient clinics.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a nexus between current disabilities and military service.,Service connection cannot be established as the preponderance of the evidence does not support a link between the Veteran’s current conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has denied an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss on an extraschedular basis. The issues of entitlement to a TDIU rating, DIC compensation, and service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death are remanded due to their interrelation with the increased rating claim.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The case for service connection of tinnitus, to include as secondary to the service-connected hearing loss, is remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is granted. The appeal regarding the initial rating of PTSD was denied due to a lack of timely substantive appeal. Service connection claims for DVT and pulmonary embolism are remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since April 12, 2016.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been denied. The Board found no current diagnoses of the claimed conditions and insufficient evidence to establish a link between active duty service and these conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, and his short-term memory loss is service connected to PTSD. The Veteran's irritable bowel/colon syndrome has not been linked to his military service.,The Board found no evidence of a compensable rating for the Veteran’s bilateral hearing loss due to current audiometric findings.

The Board has decided that the Veteran is entitled to service connection for tinnitus, but has remanded the case for a new VA examination regarding his bilateral hearing loss.