Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence and need for a new evaluation of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran will be provided with updated VA treatment records, clarification on which speech discrimination test was used in previous examinations, and a VA audiological examination.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to new evidence. The claims are granted as both conditions are presumed related to in-service acoustic trauma.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the Veteran's hearing loss and its relation to service. The Veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss, which he claims was caused by noise exposure during his military service.

Service connection for a disability of the spine, bilateral knee disabilities, bilateral blindness, and left eye disability is denied.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to the invalidity of the VA examination results. The claims are being returned for new examinations.

The Veteran's hearing loss, coronary artery disease with myocardial infarction, and hypertension are all denied. The cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and right lower extremity radiculopathy issues have been remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person or by reason of being housebound was denied as he is not blind, bedridden, or unable to care for most of his daily personal needs without assistance.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to military service. Service connection for PTSD was denied due to lack of credible supporting evidence of an in-service stressor.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss disability should be remanded due to insufficient evidence of a current hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is rated at 20 percent from February 18, 2016. The claim for increased rating was denied.,Service connection for renal cell carcinoma due to herbicide exposure in service has been granted.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there was no evidence of a current disability during or within one year after service, and the Veteran's claim was not supported by medical evidence linking his current condition to military noise exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD has been granted. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, cold injury residuals, acromioclavicular joint arthritis of the left shoulder and right shoulder, erectile dysfunction (ED), and skin condition have all been denied.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus. Bilateral hearing loss requires further evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability is being remanded due to incomplete records and the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as there is no legal entitlement to a compensable initial rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to January 17, 2017 and in excess of 10 percent thereafter. The discontinuation of the 10% disability rating under 38 C.F.R. § 3.324 was proper.

The Veteran's appeal includes issues related to service connection, increased ratings for his disabilities, and a TDIU. The Board has expanded the appeal to include these issues. The right ankle disability issue is remanded due to lack of an examination and potential VA treatment records not in the file.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issue of service connection for back condition due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no chronic or permanent hearing loss that persisted after service, and his combat noise exposure did not result in a current disability.

The Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for service connection of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is dismissed as the claim was not filed within one year and no new and material evidence was received. The appeal for competency to handle VA funds is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence showing hearing loss during or within one year after service and that his current hearing loss is not related to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are related to in-service acoustic trauma, resulting in a grant of service connection for both conditions.