Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative disc disease of the spine and granted service connection for right ear hearing loss. The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's current back condition to his in-service parachute injury, while finding that his significant bilateral hearing loss is related to acoustic trauma during military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connected due to exposure to noise during military service, meeting the criteria for presumptive service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss pre-existed his service and was not aggravated by it.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to active service.

The claim of service connection for right and left ear hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted service connection.,Service connection for left ear hearing loss is remanded.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability, diabetes mellitus, and bilateral hearing loss are service-connected. The Veteran is granted a temporary 100% rating for his left shoulder prosthetic replacement and an initial 20% rating for his diabetes mellitus. He is also granted entitlement to TDIU based on the combined effect of multiple service-connected disabilities. His tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss claims are denied.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the lack of a controlled speech discrimination test in his last VA examination and the need for updated treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is at least as likely as not related to his service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected due to lack of in-service noise exposure.,PTSD is currently rated at 10 percent, but the Veteran's symptoms warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to his in-service exposure to noise from jet engines, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, as well as bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's current conditions were not shown to be related to his military service.,Service connection was also denied for intractable plantar keratoma of the right foot and left foot.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a new VA examination to determine the current severity of his left ear hearing loss. The issues of service connection for sleep apnea and increased rating for actinic and solar keratoses are not before the Board at this time.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are at least as likely as not related to his military noise exposure.

The Board denied the petitions to reopen claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, and granted a 20% rating for erectile dysfunction with a separate 10% rating for a painful scar from December 13, 2018.

The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 40% effective August 3, 2017. The Board found that the evidence established his hearing had worsened to December 2018 levels by August 3, 2017.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, and bilateral hearing loss due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.,There is no indication in the record that any of these disabilities were incurred or aggravated during active duty.

The Veteran's appeal for a TDIU and compensable disability rating for bilateral cataracts is remanded due to the need for additional evidence. The Veteran's hearing loss claim remains pending.

The Board has denied service connection for left elbow, wrist, and hand disorders due to the lack of a current diagnosis.,Service connection was also denied for left knee disorder as there is no evidence linking it to service.