Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection, but his hearing loss claim is remanded for further review.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, but finds that further development is needed to determine their etiology.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his left knee disability and right knee disability, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment since April 1, 2013. The Board has granted a TDIU effective that date.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss is denied, while his claim for service connection for right foot disorder is granted.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, right hip and left hip disabilities, right foot and left foot disabilities, back disability, and reopened the claim for service connection for a bilateral hand disability. The claims were all denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected, with a 50% rating for migraine headaches.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The decision found that new evidence was not presented to warrant readjudicating the claim for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. For bilateral hearing loss, the Board concluded there is no current diagnosis of hearing loss sufficient for VA purposes at any time during the pendency of the claim or recent to the filing of the claim. Service connection for tinnitus was granted based on the Veteran's credible statements and service treatment records indicating onset in service.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that there is no evidence linking his current hearing loss to his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 80% prior to July 26, 2018 and 100% from that date. The appeal is granted for a higher rating.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The appeals concerning tuberculosis, heart condition, shortness of breath, and joint decompression and/or body aches were dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeal prior to a decision.

The Veteran's multiple service-connected conditions, including degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine and hypertension, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is at least as likely as not caused by noise exposure during service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the evidence is evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's tinnitus began in service and has continued since service. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to missing or destroyed service records.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus based on the presumption of service connection due to noise exposure in service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbar spine with intervertebral disc syndrome, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and radiculopathy of the lower extremities, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. As such, TDIU is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss of the right ear has been reopened and granted. The issue of a compensable disability rating for service-connected hearing loss of the left ear is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The Board has determined that additional development is needed before these claims can be decided.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss as the Veteran's current hearing loss did not manifest during or within one year after service and there was no evidence linking it to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service. His claim for increased rating for right shoulder degenerative joint disease was granted with a 10% disability rating.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected, with the Board attributing these conditions to noise exposure during his military service.